The Rift
by TragitonWriter
Summary: As children, Marie and Elsa thought the rift was not real, but when Marie finds herself pulled into Arendelle, she and Elsa find themselves chosen to rebalance dark and light. As Marie discovers her newfound powers, she and Elsa grow closer with each passing day. Will Marie return to her world, or will the battle tear the two women apart once more?
1. Prologue

Marie always felt that there was a rift between the properties where she grew up. It felt almost magical, even paranormal, like angels crossed over as though they were punching in their time stamps for work. For a young child, things such as property lines did not exist as her bare feet pounded across the grass. Her family dog, a yellow hooligan named Buddy, chased after her in the summer sun, his tongue hanging out gleefully.

"C'mon, Buddy! Faster!" she yelled, the child believing she was outrunning the Labrador. He dove into the woods as the yard wrapped around the vegetation. Marie mimicked him and hid in a pile of tall grass. The lab sprang out of the forest. She bit her lip to stop herself from giggling at the silly look on his face; at the age of five, Marie was already a master at hiding. Buddy cocked his head to the side and listened, his pink tongue rolling back into his mouth. The girl sucked in a breath at the same time, her blue eyes never leaving his brown ones.

"Marie, come here! I need some more water!" Her mother's loud but gentle voice rang through the enormous yard.

The youth smiled and readied her body to pounce. "COMING!" she hollered. Buddy jumped and playfully sprang on her, licking her from head to toe. She rose and brushed herself off. "Marie, 1. Buddy, 4!" she stated matter-of-factly.

"Marie!"

"Mommy!" Marie leaped through the brush. Her mother dropped the garden rake she was holding in surprise. "I finally got a point against Buddy! It was best out of five and he had four, but-!"

"That's nice. Get me some more water, please." She handed her daughter her tin cup. "The hose is running over there, so you can just fill it up with that." Marie's mother, father and older brother were gardening in one of the many dirt beds the family had in their yard. Marie had tried helping, but Buddy had perched himself outside of the carrot rows, whining and begging for her to play with him. Marie hummed and trudged towards the hose. It was throbbing within the giant blue container, filling it with copious amounts of water. She wrestled with the seemingly heavy hose, soaking her arm before pulling it out and sticking the tip in the cup. As it filled, the girl glanced behind her, eyeing her father. The tall, lean man was stretching and drinking from a glass bottle. Marie set the hose down with a frown and started for her mother.

"Surprise!" Cold water shot into her skin, petrifying her. Her older brother laughed maniacally when she shrieked.

"John!" Marie snatched the hose out of his hand and sprayed him. He shrieked and leaped backwards. Buddy lowered the top half of his body and barked loudly. The siblings fought over control of the hose, the water spraying high above them. Their laughter filled the air. Suddenly a green watering jug slammed against the water barrels with a deafening jolt. Their father withdrew his arm, his clothes soaked.

"Marie, go play with Buddy," my mother said in a hushed tone, her eyes on her husband with disgust. "Okay, honey?" The girl gave the water to her mother and sprinted, Buddy following close behind. She dove into the woods and began zig-zagging in fright. Left, right, left, right… She burst through the foliage to see the property line between their land and their neighbors. Her family had an extensive forest while their neighbor had planted trees in neat rows almost as if to mimic its grandeur. Marie plopped down about a foot away from this invisible line. Buddy roamed in the brush behind her. She sighed and stretched out. Her mother had told her that she was redoing preschool again and that she wouldn't see any of the kids in her class. Marie frowned. They were mean anyway. A gentle breeze tickled her freckled nose. _Hopefully I will make new friends, _she thought to herself.

A low growl sounded behind her. She shot up. "Buddy? What's wrong?" Marie whispered nervously. The built Lab stood immediately behind her, his fur rising. Her blue eyes followed his. It was almost as though Marie could see the wind, but it was concentrated in one spot. It was clear, yet there was something moving within. The girl crept forward. "Hello?" she asked in a cautious tone.

"Who are you?" came a small voice. Marie fell backwards in shock. It spoke!

Buddy whimpered and ran into the woods. Marie swallowed a huge lump in her throat. "I'm Marie. Who are you?!"

Within the rift, she could see another child, a girl. "I'm a princess."

"Really?" Marie slithered onto her hands and knees. "My parents say that I'm a princess sometimes, too!" The girl's blonde hair was now visible. Marie tilted my head. "What's your name?"

The girl pulled her hands close to her chest. Her hair was a bright blonde color and she had bright blue eyes. She wore winter clothes, and as the rift shifted through the air, it was visible from behind her that there was snow on the ground. A slight breeze tousled Marie's dark blonde hair, and to her surprise, the other girl's as well. "My name is Elsa."

"Elsa?" Marie had never heard that name before. "How old are you?" Before she could answer, Marie reached through the rift.

"Ow!" The snowy girl flinched. The lower half of her body faded in and out of focus as the breeze went past. "Why did you do that? _How_ did you do that?"

"I just wanted to see if you were real!" Marie reached her hand forward right below the rift. "Can you feel that?"

"No." Elsa looked down at her hands. "Is this more of my power?"

"Power?" Marie questioned, her hands waving dramatically around the rift.

Elsa brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was born with ice magic. Do you have powers, too?"

"Um…" Marie furrowed her brow. "Well, I can see you, can't I? I'm five!"

Elsa let out a small smile. "I'm five, too." She raised her hand. "When you reached through, I could see through your hand." Her hand broke through the rift. "Is mine see through, too?"

Her hand was alive. At least, it looked that way to Marie. It shimmered with a brilliant ice blue color. "Whoa…" The dark blonde youth reached out in amazement. As the summer sun beat down on Marie, she withdrew in shock when her hand was ice cold. "It's frozen!" she yelped. "How?"

"It's my powers!" Elsa turned her hand over and conjured a snowball.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Marie jumped up and down. "Can I hold it?!" Elsa giggled and flicked her hand to launch it. Marie caught it. "Wh-whoa!" She looked around. The sun was still shining and the grass was still green with the glow of summer. "Can you see behind me?"

"Mhm." Elsa looked over Marie's shoulder. "How is it summer there? It's supposed to be winter."

"It's supposed to be summer!" Marie retorted. She grabbed a clump of long grass and pulled. "See?" She shoved her hand through and held it out.

Elsa lifted a strand off and stared at it. "Oh, wow!" she whispered in amazement. "I haven't seen grass this green in months!" She looked at Marie with huge blue eyes. "You're see though and in summer, and I have ice powers and am in winte- hey!" She put her hands on her hips. "What are you doing? You're not supposed to eat it!"

Marie paused mid crunch in the snowball and smiled cutely. "Swrry. I wz thwsty." A brilliant chill ran through her entire body. The sensation was bigger than any Northern Minnesota winter she had experienced but it was not painful. It did, however, make her visibly shiver, to which Elsa started laughing. Marie joined and continued to chew on the snow.

She finished giggling. "I wonder…" She raised her bare hand once again. Marie did the same, but this time, they reached for each other's hands. Elsa paused at the edge of her rift, waiting. Clenching the snowball in her other hand, Marie approached and met the edge of her side of the rift.

A flash of light zapped through the air, splitting the rift into a thousand pieces. Elsa was blown backwards, her small body landing roughly on Arendelle's stone bridge connecting their town to the forest. She grunted uneasily, pushing herself up. "Elsa! Elsa, what happened?" Her mother and father ran up to her from behind. Elsa looked down on her other hand. Her brilliant blue eyes widened when she saw that the blades of grass that the strange girl had given her were still there and intact. Her father lifted her up gently. "Elsa, what happened? What was that flash of light? Was that your magic?"

Elsa broke free from her father's grasp and ran towards the place on the bridge where the snow was now unsettled and swirling in a sudden breeze. She planted her small feet and called out, "Marie! Are you there?" Nothing but the howling wind answered her.

Her father stood. "Who's Marie?"

Her mother approached with her little sister, Anna, in her arms. "Did you see someone in the forest, dear?"

"No! Didn't anyone else see her? She was standing right there!" When her family only looked at each other in confusion, she opened her hand. "She gave me this. See?" The blades still shone with a brilliant summer gleam.

Her parents eyed each other. "Elsa, let's get back inside. It'll be dark soon. Come on." Elsa obeyed, but turned and eyed the bridge, the grass still somehow warm from the summer sun on the other side.


	2. Chapter 1

"Aunty? Aunty is sleeping!"

"Not anymore," answered a disgruntled growl.

"Were you sleeping?" The bright eyes of a five-year-old boy peered at a young woman.

Marie rubbed her eyes. "Nope! You're seeing things."

"We're going to watch Frozen 2!" he announced before running off to join the rest of their family.

Marie smiled lazily. "Cool." Her head throbbed from her stepfather's homemade wine. She stretched her long skinny limbs and yawned loudly. It was 2020, and Marie was now 25. She rose and pulled her high waist skinny jeans back over her curved hips.

Her estranged uncle was lurking in the kitchen on the hunt for some cookies. He saw her stretching. "You should really consider modeling, Marie! You'd be good at it."

She smiled uncomfortably. "Thanks…"

Her sister-in-law scoffed from the sunroom. "That means she'd have to actually get a job." As chuckles of agreement filled the atmosphere, Marie frowned and headed for the front door. She did not want to hear any other snide remarks about her unemployment. She opened the door and stepped out into the cold. The winter had begun to thaw with the arrival of spring, but was stubbornly hanging around into the night. She closed the door behind her and sighed. Her breath cascaded into the air. She watched it. Her parents' Australian Shephard, Rex, greeted her by creepily licking her hand and running back onto the driveway to patrol. Marie gave him a crooked smile and called his name. He sprang towards her and they dove for each other playfully. The woman romped around like a child, laughing at his attempts to grab her gloves and rip them off to declare himself the winner. She shoved him into the snow before tripping into it herself.

"Shit! No, no! I don't have fur! Stop!" Marie threw the snow onto him and pushed herself up. Rex huffed and trotted off proudly. She shivered and brushed herself off. She leaned down and picked up a bundle of snow, balled it together and took a bite out of it.

"Why do you always do that?" Her brother closed the front door behind him and sat down on the front step. He had grown into a handsome young man with reddish blonde hair. Marie's hair had darkened into a mousy brown as they aged.

"I was thirsty." She threw the remainder at Rex. "What are you doing out here?"

He pulled out a vape pen, their sister's, and smiled. Marie trotted over as he took a small puff. As she reached for it, the front door opened. Marie snatched the pen and hid it. Their mother rolled her eyes before speaking. "I need to talk to you guys. Something happened over at the Menlove's."

"So their kid went missing and they want help looking for them? Why can't they call the police?" Marie nodded in agreement as her brother spoke. They had listened to their mother tell them that the family that now lived at the house John and Marie had grown up in was missing a child. This child loved to go into the woods but had not come back after nightfall. Marie squeezed her forearms. That was not a good thing at all, especially in those woods.

"They did. The police recommended that those who used to live there help look. It'll go by faster." The whole family was listening by now, even all of Marie's nieces and nephews.

Jack, her thirteen-year-old nephew, stepped forward. "Can I come with?" His little siblings piped in a chorus after him.

"No," Marie and her older sister answered at the same time.

"Yes," John interrupted. Marie shot a glare at him, but he nudged her. She noticed his blood shot eyes and understood. "Just to be safe," he muttered. The family readied themselves and conversed while John's car warmed up.

"Alright, let's go," Marie stated, beginning to bag up some cookies. "Make sure to have water and bring some cookies with for energy and for the kid. Charge your phones in the car if you have to. I'll drive."

"She never came back after that." Marie and John were now at the house they had grown up in, their oldest nephew with them. Marie crossed her arms and listened to Nancy Menlove explain to them what had happened to their daughter, Layla. Her husband grabbed her shoulder in comfort as she began to cry. "She's a good kid. She wouldn't-…"

"Is there any place in particular she mentioned going to in the past?" Marie asked gently, thinking of her own childhood habits. An officer shifted his weight as he looked at her.

"She mentioned this place near the property line, over by the Douglas's. She said there was some kind of wind over there." Marie felt her heart stop for a moment. Nancy covered her face. "I just hope she's alright."

"Did you guys check over there?" her brother asked the officer.

He nodded. "Four times now. No sign of her. Just animal tracks."

Marie buttoned the top button of her dark grey jacket and tightened her scarf. "John, take Jack and start at the trail where we used to hunt at the north end. I'll start at the south near the opening of the trail into the woods and we can meet halfway. Then we can branch out east to west and try again."

John looked nervously at the officer. "Tell him, not me!" he seethed.

"Right, sorry!" Marie laughed uncomfortably. "I just got caught up in it all. We used to take that route when looking for our pets when we were growing up. It always worked."

"No, that's fine. You two know this place better than we do." The officer adjusted his gloves. "I'll radio the others and let them know what's going on. 55 acres isn't going to cover itself." He walked away and static followed him as he communicated with his coworkers.

"You said the trail on the south end?" Bill, the father, piped in. "Be careful. There's a sinkhole there now. We don't go down there and Layla knows not to, too."

"It was nearly three feet deep when we moved out of here, too." Marie nodded. "Thanks for the heads up. Each walk through takes about a half hour, so if we aren't back in around two hours, we probably aren't on the property. We'll keep in touch."

"Please find her," Nancy breathed.

Marie nodded. "We'll do everything we can."

The trio started off, her brother catching up to her. "Don't you want to take their dog with you or something?"

"No. I only trust dogs that know this place, otherwise I'll end up babysitting. Good luck. Keep your ringers on, guys." They all hugged and departed.

"I wonder how far they are in the movie," Marie muttered aloud. She hoped the other kids weren't worrying over Layla. They went to school with her, after all. She tightened the laces on her boots and trudged through the snow. She readied her pocketknife, keeping it pointed towards the ground. Even though it was dark, the snow still held onto the little moonlight that shone through the sky, illuminating the open. The cold caused the air to crisp and echo with every sound. Marie paused and listened for the location of the other officers. Light crunching and disembodied shouts met her ears, but they sounded far away. She would have to yell very loudly if something happened.

Marie approached the opening to the trails on the south side, wary of the new sinkhole. She stepped lightly on the ice above it, seeing it crush like glass and shatter. Water that was well below the freezing temperature rippled below, exposing a hole nearly ten feet deep. Marie swallowed nervously and went around.

"Layla? Can you hear me, honey?" She paused and listened. If something was wrong, then the child would be unable to shout back. She had to listen. "Try to make a sound on the snow. Two taps if you can." She took a few steps into the woods and paused again. "Two taps or snap a twig." Twenty minutes went by with her repeating these words. Her phone buzzed. John and Jack were now at the north end. "Shit, my ringer isn't on." Marie fumbled with her phone, taking off her glove.

A twig snapped near her. She froze. "Layla? Is that you?" It snapped once more. Marie felt her stomach twist and she raised her knife. "Layla?"

A deep growl rumbled through the woods. That was no child. She stood her ground. If it was a predator, the worst thing to do was run. She raised her knife higher and unbuttoned her coat. "Hey!" she growled back, whipping her coat wildly. "Show yourself!"

Snow crunched lightly to her left. Marie instinctively blocked her face and neck. A wolf leapt out of the brush straight for her. It caught her coat and Marie threw it down, landing a swift kick to its side before sprinting back towards the trail opening. Two? There were two?! Her breath caught in her throat. There were never wolves in these woods! Where did they come from?

"HELP! SOUTH! WOLVES!" Marie screamed. She whipped around and lashed out with her knife, jumping backwards as a wolf leapt for her.

"No!"

Marie fell backwards. No? Who was that? A large branch swung above her and landed squarely on the wolf. It yelped as it shot backwards. It was all so fast. Marie was nearly to the ground. She was going to hit where the sinkhole was. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. A body shoved her out of the way, and as she landed on the frozen ground next to the hole, the other wolf collided with whoever had saved her and they both fell into the hole.

"Shit!" Marie scampered to her hands and knees, completely aware of the wolf that was still lurking near the brush. Panic flooded her vision and body. If she turned to help whoever was in the hole, then the other wolf could easily attack her, killing them both. She clenched her teeth and struck out with her knife. "C'MON!" she screamed wildly. "Come at me, you bastard!" The wolf growled and took a step forward. Splashing from behind her tempted to distract Marie. She heard a loud gasp for air, but it was choked by water. Panic engulfed her. With a snarl, Marie leapt so the hole was between her and the wolf and she reached inside. Adrenaline aided her as she threw the limp body of the other wolf out of the hole and onto the ground before its packmate. The wolf flinched and sniffed the limp body before it. "Go on! Get out of here!" The splashing stopped, but she could not turn her attention away from the starved animals in front of them just yet. The unconscious wolf stirred and whimpered. Marie put a hand over the hole, covering it with her body. "GO ON!" The wolves took off, but she continued to block it for a few seconds longer, making sure they did not come back. Marie reached down and grasped hold of the body and yanked it out. It was a woman in her mid-twenties. Although she was rather petite and probably five and a half feet tall, the water that clung to her weighed her down. Marie stumbled backwards, their bodies falling to the frozen ground. She did not stir.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Wake up!" Marie flipped the stranger on her back. "Come on! Wake up!" Marie violently shook her, but she did not stir. She flipped her light blonde hair out of her face and started compressions. Her lips were cold, a feeling that Marie hated to experience as she breathed in twice before doing more compressions. It felt as though her hands were going to break her ribs. Two minutes passed, then five. Marie kept going. "HELP!" Her screams did not echo. "HELP US!" Marie breathed into her mouth. "Please…don't die for me. Don't die for someone like me!"

Time passed and her body started to grow numb. Marie slammed her fists down on her rescuer's ribs, shaking her head. A light breeze tickled the back of Marie's exposed head. Tears streamed down her face, and she was becoming more and more numb. "…You can save her…"

"How?" she let out with a rasp. She could not scream or lift her head anymore. She did not care if she was hallucinating, even. She answered the voice without hesitation.

"A life…for a life…" The breeze swirled around the two women, but as Marie peered at it, darkness began to form within.

"It's you…" Marie coughed violently. "She tried saving me. Save her…"

The darkness touched her cheek. "Even if it means you will never see your loved ones again?" The last word echoed around them ever so slowly.

Marie managed to grab the unconscious woman's cold hand. "I don't care. She had loved ones, too. Just…help me save her."

"There is a price…"

"Then I'll pay it." She felt it. She was going to die soon. She might as well gamble.

"Oh?" The darkness swirled upwards as though it were reacting to her words. "So eager to throw away your life?"

Her eyes began to close. "Why should two of us die…when one can survive?"

"You will never be able to step inside of your world ever again…"

Marie's heart slowed. Her world? She felt the ground change shape below her, but ignored it. "I don't care…"

"Very well. The deal is struck." The darkness swirled rapidly around them like a tornado and vanished. A loud gasp filled the air below her.

Marie looked down slowly. "You're…alive," she breathed with joy.

The woman sat up, touching her throat and coughing. She looked around them, her eyes growing wide. "Marie?"

"You're…alive…Good…" Marie fell forward and landed on the ground as a scream lifted high into the air. The young woman felt her heart swell with warmth. Everything faded into nothing, but at least one of them was still living.

Her eyes shot open before she could even comprehend what was going on. Ever so slowly, her eyes took in a light brown bed canopy. Marie's skin sensed a fire not far from where she was laying. She wasn't anywhere that she recognized. A fire, and a handmade bed canopy? Was she in a log cabin? That had to be it. Yeah, she was in a log cabin, probably one of the officer's that had found her. Her eyes fought to stay open. She heard what sounded like a giant draft, and as she gazed over at the nearest window, Marie saw the moon, but no tips of any trees. Was she on the second floor or something? Voices sounded below her and outside of the room as well. Marie shifted in reaction to her back and arm stinging. The wolf must have gotten her after all. She stopped. The wolf. Her brother. Her nephew. Layla. That woman…

"You can't keep going in there, Elsa. The doctor said it won't help anyone!"

"I don't care, Anna! She saved my life. The least I can do is be there when she wakes up."

Marie blinked. Was she high? It was because her nephew had mentioned watching that movie. She must have taken a hit with her brother and not remembered it. No more of that stuff.

The door opened, and Marie summoned her acting skills and pretended to be asleep. Maybe she would start dreaming about something else. Light footsteps sounded to her right and she felt the presence of someone. They sucked in a breath before resting one of their hands on her forehead. "She's burning up." The voice sounded familiar… It was both soft yet melodious and etched with worry. Marie knew it was the person in the woods. Beneath the touch of her fingers on Marie's brow, a light chill erupted and spread across her head. It felt like a light layer of ice. Marie gasped in surprise but forced her eyes to stay shut. She needed to know if this was a safe place to let herself be known.

"Is she awake?" sounded another young woman, also strangely familiar. The voice sounded European. Marie breathed heavily and coughed, forcing herself to relax.

"I guess not," answered the voice next to the actress. The back of her hand rested against Marie's cheek. It was a soft, gentle touch that made her feel safe. The stranger let it linger for a while before removing it.

A knock sounded on the door. "I found these near the bridge. They must be hers." It was a male this time. The slight scent of hay and animal wafted into the room, and Marie's nose twitched when she could hear the heavy breathing of a large animal come in with the young man. Was it a cow? Why was there a cow indoors?

Marie could not help but think to herself that she was really tripping. If this was really a dream, then maybe she could take control of it like a lucid dreamer could? She concentrated. The animal was going to make a noise right…NOW! The animal let out a huff. It worked! Okay, maybe next, someone will throw a log onto the fire? "Thank you," the woman next to her said. "Let's discuss this out in the hall. I don't want to wake her."

"Right, sorry! C'mon, Sven! No, you can't lick her to wake her up!" The young man left the room, but that's not what Marie was worried about. Sven?!

"I'll come with you, Kristoff." Light footsteps padded across the stone floor. "Elsa?"

"I'll be out in a minute." The door opened and closed to the far right, leaving only Marie and the woman next to her. The woman breathed in, resting her hand upon Marie's. Her heart raced. She heard the rustling of what must have been the other woman's dress as she leaned in. "You can stop pretending now…Marie."

The injured woman froze. Without opening her eyes, she asked quietly, "Who are you?"

The woman withdrew her hand. "I think if you open your eyes, you'd know."

"I can't."

The sound of slight creaking from a chair caught Marie's ear. The other woman must have shifted her weight. "Why not?"

"Because this is a dream." Maybe if Marie was blunt, the fantasy would end, and she would wake up from this dream. "You're a property of Walt Disney, an animated character who isn't real. So is Anna, Kristoff and Sven. This isn't real."

Silence answered her. The woman chuckled. "Is that what the book said about me?"

Marie's smile faltered. "What are you talking about?"

"You learned about me through a book, right? Or something similar where you're from?"

Marie opened her eyes but turned away from the woman. "Okay. Humor me. What do you know about me?" she asked.

"I know that your name is Marie, son of Nel. You had a dog named Buddy, and you have a large family that you love very much. You were liked by many yet felt alone. You loved being outside and knew how to comfort those who were sad. You also…"

Marie clutched her forehead uncomfortably when it throbbed. She stood. A soft underdress that she had been changed into fell softly down her legs. "I also what?"

The woman stood as well. "You died." Marie gasped, the image of the darkness filling her mind. "There was a great darkness. You fought with it all your life, but when it threatened to kill a child that you loved, you died protecting that child. Everyone in the story was devastated. They found out that you never had to die, and that was the most tragic theme of the story." She paused. "The unnecessary sacrifice."

Marie shook her head in dismissal. "That doesn't prove anything. If it's a book, then who wrote that story?"

The woman began walking towards her, her footsteps light and wary. "Her name was Nevaeh Scott." Marie scoffed and began walking towards the window. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Marie threw a nearby chair, shattering the glass. "Nevaeh Scott is a character that I made up myself. I was writing a book and she was the main character." She grabbed the sides of the windowpane and lifted herself up with great difficulty. She never usually felt her wounds in her dreams. The wind howled below, and the earth was black far beneath her. Marie shook her head vigorously to focus. "I don't care how realistic this dream is. I have to wake up and find out what happened. And the only way that I can wake up from a dream is to die."

"No! Please don't! You don't understand what's going on! Let me explain!" The other woman's voice came near. "This isn't a dream, Marie!"

Marie finally turned around and looked at her. Forget what she imagined former Queen Elsa of Arendelle would look like; this woman was very, very real. Tears streamed down her very real, very pale face. Her eyes were a very real but very striking bright blue, and the white dress she wore was torn and dirty unlike any drawing Marie had seen of her before. She was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. It was the type of beauty that a person could easily admire and covet. Marie smiled at her assuredly. "Don't worry, okay? I've done this plenty of times before. It's the only way I can escape a dream of mine. Even if it were real…this isn't where I belong. Even if I do want to escape…reality is never this kind." Elsa let out a scream as Marie released her grip and fell towards the darkness beneath.


	3. Chapter 2

"You're Queen now. It's your responsibility to deal with her."

Marie let out a light groan as the throbbing of her head woke her. She flinched as light met her eyes. "Ugh…shit…" She was still in the same room with the wooden canopy. Elsa was leaning against the stone wall by the fireplace, her blue eyes glaring at Marie. It was far from what Disney had depicted. She was angry and tense, nothing like she even looked when Hans had stormed her ice palace and threatened her life with his guards. A real human stood in front of Marie, not some mis proportioned, smiling idol, yet seeing her stand there, Marie felt the child in her squeal with delight at the sight of her fictional role model. Marie sat up and rubbed her forehead, meeting Elsa's gaze.

Anna stood near the door but turned when she heard Marie. "Oh, good! You're awake!" Elsa narrowed her eyes, causing ice to form all around Marie's body, locking her in place. Anna sighed. "Really, Elsa? We don't even know for sure if she is-"

Elsa leaned back against the wall coolly. "She can't go jumping out of windows now."

Marie attempted to move her head, slight panic rising in her chest. "Can I just wake up now?" The cold was unsettlingly real that seeped into her pale skin.

"You just-!" Elsa started, but stopped when Anna glared at her. "Sorry."

Anna cleared her throat. "You just did." Even though the young woman before Marie was younger, she did have an air of sophistication about her. Marie imagined a college graduate having the same level of intelligent confidence. Her red hair rested on her small shoulder with a small braid holding her bangs back. "You're not dreaming. My sister saved you when you tried to jump out the window, but you hit your head against the castle wall outside and were knocked unconscious."

Marie shivered and looked around the room, searching for an abnormality that her brain could process as being fake, thus proving that she was indeed dreaming. "This is great and all, but I really should wake up now. I need to ask my brother if I took a hit with him, and I have to ask my stepdad what he put in that wine…"

"Took a hit? Like beat each other up?" Anna questioned. "And you really think-?"

"You really think that wine caused all of this?" Elsa half yelled, interrupting her sister. Her fist clenched, causing the ice to tighten. Marie grunted uneasily.

"Elsa, let me handle this, okay?" Anna offered. "My sister can explain-"

"You never let me explain! You just jumped out the window!" The ice tightened even more around Marie's frail body as the former queen approached her. "You might just be an illusion of _it._"Marie let out a slight whimper of pain but bit her lip. She could not let her dreams taunt her. Not anymore.

""You're Queen now, Anna. It's your responsibility now, Anna!" Tch!" The younger sister turned around and started for the door. "Kristoff! She's awake now!"

Marie began to breathe heavily due to the pressure. "Go ahead. Squash me," she hissed. "Then I'll wake up from this shit."

The women's eyes grew wide. "That's not nice language!" Anna said in shock. "Feces has nothing to do with this!"

A small smile formed on the corner of Elsa's pretty pink lips. "Tell me. Have you ever frozen to death?" Anna opened her mouth in protest, but her sister took a step forward. "If you are an illusion, then my magic will destroy you. But if you are real, then my magic will keep you alive. But you will still feel the cold." She clenched her hand into a fist, causing the breath to squeeze out of Marie's lungs.

"This is NOT the way to treat people!" Anna rested a firm hand on her sister's shoulder. "Look at her, Elsa! She can't breathe!" The ice mage faltered. "Elsa!" Marie forced herself to relax. No. Her mind was not going to do this to her. Not this time.

"We have to make sure this isn't a trick, Anna!" Marie could tell by Elsa's tone of voice that she was not enjoying this. "Its illusions don't last that long."

Marie gritted her teeth. She was four years-old, running for her life. _No…stop._ She had no boots on her small feet that sprinted through the deep snow. Her real body flinched whenever her memory fell into the snow, the cold stabbing her. _No!_ she thought frantically. She was running from him…She was running as far as she could. "Stop," she whispered.

The sisters looked taken aback. "What is this?" Elsa whispered. Marie's memory was being played out around the room, Elsa's magic taking the form of a four-year-old Marie.

"Water has memory…" Anna grabbed Elsa's shoulder. "It's her." Her younger self cried out as she fell into the snow for the last time, her body unable to push itself any further. Marie closed her eyes and shook. She slowly drifted into the numb whiteness, her little body drifting into the eternal sleep that the cold brought. Marie opened her real eyes and looked straight at Elsa, who flinched at the pure animosity in her eyes. "You can't keep doing this to me," Marie seethed. Elsa put a hand in front of her sister protectively. "I've conquered you. You can't control me anymore!" Elsa hesitated before conjuring an icicle that pointed straight for Marie's throat.

Anna started but was held back. "Elsa, no!"

"Wait, Anna." Elsa looked at Marie. "You can escape my ice, but there's only one way to do it."

Marie's eyes lowered in thought. The foreigner exhaled, and suddenly the ice shattered

around her. Her body fell to the floor as she coughed violently. "The rift…It was you that

was there." Her vision faded in and out. "And you saved me…in the woods." Her arms and legs shook. "And…this isn't a dream."

"Marie." Elsa rushed to her and knelt. "Thank goodness you weren't an illusion."

"So she's…from another world?" Anna knelt and attempted to help Marie stand, but she turned away, shaking her head.

A snowball, seemingly out of nowhere, rested on Elsa's hand. Marie stared at it. "I don't understand," she rasped. "You're from a movie…You're not real."

"And you're from a children's book." Anna threw a dark pink blanket over Marie's shivering body as she spoke. "Forgive us for doubting. But you have to understand from our perspective." She moved to her side and squeezed her shoulder when Marie continued to shake. "We thought you were a part of that strange wind that's been sighted in the forest. But if you were part of it, Elsa's magic would have crushed you."

The snowball drifted back into Marie's vision as Elsa offered it once again. "Do you remember?" Elsa asked. Marie took it, suddenly feeling five years old again. Without a second thought, she bit into it. The snow melted joyously in her mouth and slithered down her throat. Marie could somehow feel what Elsa must have been feeling when she conjured it. A sense of wonder, longing and regret overcame her. Elsa said, "There's been a strange dark wind that has been appearing out of nowhere and attacking people. It makes that person's fears come alive before causing destruction." The image of the dark wind that had surrounded them in the forest filled Marie's mind. "I…appeared in your world. I didn't have my magic. But when I saw the wolves run at you in the forest, I knew they were going to kill you. I begged to myself, to anyone, to make it to you before they reached you." Elsa's scream filled Marie's mind as the puzzle pieces fell into place.

"…How did you come into…my world?" she asked.

Elsa shook her head. "I was walking and saw the rift by the bank. It looked exactly like it did when we were children. I heard your voice calling a girl's name, and when I reached out, it pulled me in. The next thing I remember is hitting the wolf with that stick and falling into the water, and you collapsing after we came back to Arendelle." The royal leaned back as her face was overcome with emotion. "You made a deal with it, didn't you?" Anna kept looking back and forth between the two women, her large eyes entranced.

Marie sat back. "Yeah…I thought I was dying, so I went with what it offered. I didn't think it was real. I didn't want it to be real." Hot tears splashed down on the brunette's hands. She wiped them away shamefully. "Sorry…I'm just overwhelmed. C-can I ask you something about the author of that book that I'm in…Is she still alive?"

"She came for your coronation!" Anna chimed. "But unfortunately, she was an old woman then, and we received a letter not too long ago that she had passed. I'm sorry."

The women moved backwards as Marie pushed herself up with shaky long legs. She smiled. "She was real…That's amazing. As a writer, that's our biggest dream, you know? For our characters to become real." She lifted the blanket closer and covered half her face. "Who's to say that my reality is the only one?"

The peaceful ambience was interrupted by Marie's stomach roaring. Elsa and Anna giggled as she hid her face in embarrassment. "Why don't we go downstairs and grab a snack?" Elsa motioned towards the door. "I think I might have a dress that was too long for me in the wardrobe that you could try on." Marie nodded, suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl at her idol's house. Anna gave them a smile before departing. Marie lifted the pink blanket up once more and stood by the dim fire, watching the former queen out of the corner of her eye. Her chest buzzed with a sense of childish wonder. A part of her was still expecting to wake up at any moment, but every detail felt too real. The snowball, the fire, the ice, even the feel of the blanket resting on her shoulders. As real as her dreams had been before, they did not mimic life this realistically. She sniffled. The most realistic thing was nearly dying…

"You were muttering something earlier." Elsa's voice made Marie flinch. Now that they were alone, her demeanor changed. Her voice was still melodious and soft, but it was also cautious and slightly quivering. Her shoulders were tense even though her movements were fluid and graceful. She pulled out a long, faded maroon garment and held it in front of her. "You kept saying, "God, help me. God, please."" Her thin fingers ran over the fabric to smooth it. "He exists in your world?"

Marie faced her but lowered her eyes to the floor. "Of course, he does," she responded softly.

A small smile formed on Elsa's pink lips. "That's good." She looked up at Marie. "Here it is. I'm sorry that it's not much. We can have our seamstress make you something else right away."

"No, no, it's alright. I'm not picky." Marie measured it against her own body. "I'm sure it'll work just fine."

"That's great to hear." Elsa played with her hands absentmindedly before slowly turning around. Nervousness pricked within Marie's chest. She was never one to change in front of people, not even her own mother. But she had to consider that she was wounded, and that she was also not yet allowed to be alone in their home. She walked a few feet away and set the blanket on the bed. Reaching through the bottom, she observed the dress before slipping it over her head. She did not observe it close enough though, because the waist got caught around her head and arms.

"Uh…I might need some help." Marie's face grew beet red. She could only imagine what she looked like in that moment: a tall, lanky maroon tower with legs on the bottom. "I will definitely not be offended in any way if you laugh." She felt two hands grab onto the dress and pull down.

Her head popped out of the top, and though her brown hair landed in front of her face, she could see Elsa bite her lip and turn around, holding back a laugh. "Our clothing is much different from each other, so I understand." When Marie fixed her hair, she adjusted the dress. It was slightly itchy, but comfortable. The sleeves came halfway up her forearms, something she was used to from being so tall. The fabric hugged her small chest and waist but flowered out at her hips. It was a couple inches off the floor. Her hands felt her chest in surprise at the built-in brassiere. Marie reached behind her and felt strings with a slight groan. Elsa turned around and came to her side. "Forgive me. I should have known better." Her hands were quick and sure, proving this was an everyday thing for her and everyone else.

Hearing the distance in her voice, Marie looked around. "It's very cozy here." The feeling of embarrassment flashed within her once more as Elsa took a step forward and left only an inch between them. Marie clenched her hands in front of her. "Do, um…do you usually have help getting dressed?"

"Yes." The tone of her voice indicated that Marie had asked a rhetorical question. "Do you not?"

"No. Our clothes are pretty easy to slip on and off." Elsa stopped at Marie's response. The foreigner laughed. "Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like, too. Our world is obsessed with…matters of the flesh." It was the only thing she could think of saying without using modern slang that the royal would not understand. Marie's thumb nails clicked together nervously. She had a habit of speaking too much sometimes.

She could feel Elsa's fingers move slowly over her lower back as she finished tying the string into a knot. She nearly stopped as she asked, "Were you…one of those people?"

Marie felt her skin grow hot. "U-um, I had a couple of boyfriends, er…lovers. And a couple that promised love but ran as soon as it was over." She looked at her palms and the royal stopped to gaze at her. "I felt like a fool, to be honest. People often called me a prude, saying that I was wasting my beauty by not being more sexual." Marie breathed in, her shoulders dropping. "I didn't want just _that_. I never did. I felt that I was more than that, you know? If someone could see my heart, then maybe it would be enough." Her eyes grew wide. "That was unnecessary! COMPLETELY unnecessary! I apologize!"

A gentle hand rested on Marie's shoulder blade. She froze. "Some princesses were like that, too," Elsa said quietly. "But I never wanted to let myself get close to anyone. I was afraid I would hurt them."

Marie turned her head. "It's an awful feeling, that's for sure." She looked up towards the ceiling, gazing at the strong wooden pillars above. "Especially when people use it against you."

Her hand slid off Marie's shoulders. "Or when you use it against yourself."

Marie turned and looked her in the eyes. "That's why I related to you so much," she admitted rather sheepishly. "I felt trapped, but the only person who could free me was myself. You, or your character, showed me that I wasn't alone." She had only met one other person who had such expressive eyes as the beautiful blonde in front of her. As Marie took the time to delve into Elsa's gaze, the memory of this person filled her mind. They were a close friend that had shared everything: hopes, dreams, secrets and desires. But then…

Marie took a step back and tore her gaze away. No. Never again. Elsa blinked and tilted her head to try and catch her attention. "What's wrong?"

"Uhm…nothing. It's nothing. I'm fine." Marie let out a fake smile. "I think it's just my head bothering me."

The royal turned and walked to the other side of the bed, pulling out a small drawer of the oak end table. "What is a movie? A time portal?"

"Oh gosh, no! We are smart in the future, or my world, but not quite that smart to time travel." Marie began folding the blanket that she had set on the bed. "It's short for motion picture. It's like…thousands of pictures in a row so it looks like it's moving. They've made two of them so far."

Elsa pulled out a hand mirror and held it up to her face, looking at Marie in its reflection. "So, it looked like…this?" She slowly moved the mirror over her face. Marie caught a glimpse of herself and could not help but compare their faces. Her own was square with a pronounced jawline while Elsa's was softer with higher cheek bones. Elsa's face was slender yet newly mature, a kind of beauty that most women longed for. Her blue eyes were set farther apart than Marie's, and her platinum hair framed around her face that would make anyone's fingers twitch with the urge to brush it behind her ears. She held herself with nobility and reserve, her eyes observant but her body confident. She was stunning. She paused when it caught Marie in the reflection. "You still look the same, even twenty years later."

Marie pulled her brown hair to the side when Elsa gave her a warm smile. "I usually have my hair pulled back now." She internally chastised herself. Taking compliments was never her strong suit.

"I always tried to go back to that spot." Elsa walked over to her, the mirror in her hands. "I only saw you once more, but no matter how much I screamed, you couldn't hear me." The mirror was offered to Marie. "You…were in pain. Like your heart had shattered into a million pieces. I wanted to help, but-…I couldn't."

Gently, Marie took the mirror. "Do you happen to remember how long ago that was?"

"Eight years this spring."

Marie turned the glass towards her abdomen. "Oh. _Then_." When nobility's gaze met commoner's, Marie became uneasy. "It happened a long time ago. It's nothing."

She was expecting a flippant excusal, or even an outburst of anger. After all, that was the only thing Marie knew. That's not what she got. Elsa rested her hands on Marie's arms and stared into her eyes. "I won't press. My hope is that one day, you'll trust me enough to tell me. For now, I know exactly where you're coming from. That's how I know you need one of these." She soundlessly wrapped her arms around Marie's torso and pulled her in tightly. Marie froze. Elsa's hair fell over the brunette's shoulder as she squeezed her tenderly. It wasn't the hug of a mother, or even a sister. It was the hug of someone who had experienced the same pain. Her slender face nestled in the crook of Marie's long neck, and she could not help but shiver.

Marie had willingly closed herself off from others. So why were her arms unwillingly moving across the royal's thin frame to return her embrace? The person that had lingered in the back of their minds were now in front of them. Marie stepped into her hold and squeezed tightly. The royal tremored slightly when Marie nestled her face on the side of Elsa's head and closed her eyes.

"I could have baked a chocolate cake by now!" The door suddenly burst open, and an exasperated Anna stood with her arms outstretched dramatically. "Seriously, what is taking you so lo-?..." Elsa tore away from Marie in an instant. "Oh." Anna grabbed the door handle and slowly backed out. "I'll just, uh…be out here." The door slammed.

The young woman refused to turn around and face her long-lost companion, but Marie could see that her face was a brilliant red. "…She usually knocks." Her nervous eyes darted to Marie. "Hey, are you okay?"

Marie clutched her head and slowly moved backwards, feeling for the bed. "Yeah! I think I just need to lay down." As soon as her body felt the mattress, she tipped over.


	4. Chapter 3

_"You can save her…" _Marie's eyes flickered behind her eyelids as a small creature made its way up her side. "_A life…for a life."_

A small, raspy coo echoed in her ear. She jolted awake. The room was alive with warm sunlight, and the window, despite being shattered, brought in a gentle summer breeze. Marie breathed in heavily, taking in the air and smiling. Another coo sounded right next to her ear, and she slowly moved her gaze towards the source on her shoulder. A small blue salamander blinked curiously at her, its mouth open in glee. Marie's instinct was to hurl the creature across the room, but it suddenly sneezed, causing a light puff of orange flame to escape from its little mouth. Marie's own mouth fell open. "The fire spirit from the forest?" It leapt from her shoulder onto the bed behind her. She turned over to see it motioning towards a folded piece of paper that was resting on a pillow. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to read it.

I left some fresh bread and milk for you on the nightstand. There should be fresh garments for you to wear and a nurse is going to check on your head when you wake. Bruni might pester you, but he means well. Try to rest so you don't scare me like that anymore.

On the bottom, a shining snowflake spread across the parchment. Marie ran a finger over the cold signature. "Cool…Such nice handwriting, too." She rose and stretched with a yawn. The maroon dress slid up her waist as Bruni leapt onto her back. "You know, I almost trained my birds to do that." She smiled at the amphibian as he settled on her shoulder. "Minus the fire breathing." Her feet naturally strolled to the window. The breeze greeted her and tousled her long brown hair and the sunlight shone upon her pale face. Marie breathed in again and sighed. Beneath her was barren land that was littered with stray stones from the castle, but it soon dove into the expansive fjord. She had grown up around lakes, but none of them could compare to the water before her. Houses and other rustic buildings splattered around the shores of the fjord and an array of boats and ships floated idly in the water. Disembodied shouts sounded from their decks. Marie spread her fingers across the windowpane. "It's so beautiful," she said breathlessly. "They didn't show _this_ in the movie."

A strong knock sounded on the door behind her. She turned to see a tall, dark skinned man push the door open and place his hands behind his muscular build. "Good afternoon, Miss," he said firmly. His brown eyes flitted towards the window before landing on Marie once more. She lifted her hands and faced him nervously, dipping her head as a greeting. "I am Lieutenant Mattias and I have been instructed to inform you that Your Highness would like to speak with-"

"You're awake!" A head of red hair shot in front of the man. Anna smiled widely. "Good morning, Marie!"

Mattias took a breath in. "It's past noon, Your Grace."

"Lighten up, Destin! I woke up not too long ago, too! Give us girls some slack?" Her large eyelashes fluttered over her greenish blue eyes coyly.

The Lieutenant lifted a corner of his lips in a fond smile. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Always!" she chimed. Mattias turned and left. Anna strolled into the room, her dark green dress gliding effortlessly across the stone floor. She stopped at the side of the bed and peered down while cupping her chin. "Hm…so that's why I didn't hear her go into her room last night."

Marie followed her gaze and felt her chest tighten when she saw that next to the covers was a slender body imprint. "What exactly happened?"

"She was worried about you." The Queen's hand ran over the imprint in adoration, a warm smile on her lips. "Last night, she came down and told us you had fallen unconscious. She came back up and watched over you for a while, even after we all went to sleep. If a friend of mine was hurt, I'd probably stay by their side, too."

Bruni licked Marie's ear, causing her to smile. "Yeah, me too. You both are very kind, especially after the stunt I pulled last night." Her fists clenched momentarily. "I'm still trying to take it all in. Can you tell me more about what's going on?"

Anna was now in front of the wardrobe, her eyes narrowed as she searched for something. "I've only seen Elsa that upset a couple of times. Ah!" She reached inside and pulled out a neatly folded light purple outfit with what appeared to be a bar of soap on top. "Hm…lavender soap and a sash to tie your hair back…" Anna lifted a fold of the outfit up. "It has a slit in the front and she even decorated it with her magic." The royal shot Marie a side glance and raised her eyebrows coyly. Marie felt confused when she blushed. Anna set the pile down on a nearby vanity. "For a few months now, there have been reports of what people are calling "the dark wind." No one knows where it came from or why it's here, but we think it might be coming from The Enchanted Forest. Elsa's meeting with the Northuldra now to find out if there has been any more sightings or attacks."

Marie nodded, trying to take it all in. So they were all real, too. "Has the dark wind…talked before?"

Anna replied with a half frown. "Not that I know of. Why?"

Marie walked over to the bed to sit down and Anna joined. "Because I think I might have talked to it last night." She started from the beginning, explaining the tear in space and how Elsa and she had met as children. She even explained Layla's disappearance and the attack. "I'm not sure how, but Elsa was there, and she saved me. I tried bringing her back, but…"

Anna's eyes were excitedly focused on me. "But what?"

Marie's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I nearly died, so I can't remember everything that happened. I think I had a dream about it last night."

"Did you remember anything?"

_"A life for a life…"_ A jolt shot through the newcomer's chest.

Anna leaned over to get a better look at her face. "What is it?"

Marie contained herself. "I'm not sure. I could be wrong about it all. I want to see if I remember anything else first."

An almost comical look came across her freckled face at Marie's response. She pouted before sitting up in a ladylike fashion. "I hate to do this, but I might have to use my status as Queen to demand you to tell me what you know." Marie lowered her head. Anna let out a small chuckle. "But not right now. I can tell whatever it is, it bothers you. If you say that you can't remember, then I'll trust you."

Marie grunted in surprise but simply nodded. "Thank you. I promise that I'll tell you as much as I can." She played with her hands. "There's people waiting for me, and I don't want to keep them waiting."

"A husband?!" Marie jumped at the excitement in Anna's voice.

"Ha! Uh…" Sheepishly, Marie cleared her throat when a look of confusion came over Anna's face. "No. I meant my nieces and nephews. I don't have anyone like _that_. But you're definitely not the first person to ask."

The former princess leaned back and looked up in thought. "Not everyone is ready. People ask Elsa the same thing all the time and I can tell that it bothers her."

Marie joined her in leaning back. Bruni ran down her arm and started playing in the blankets. The young women giggled. "It seems like when a person knows they don't need anyone else to feel whole, the right person shows up. It was like that for my mother and stepfather."

"You don't feel whole?" she ventured carefully.

Marie looked outside. "You'd be surprised at how many people feel the same way where I'm from." A loud growl sounded, and Anna laughed as Marie's eyes grew wide. "Sorry!" she laughed along, scratching her head. "It's been almost a day since I ate last. Oh, she left me something." Marie looked around and found the bread and container holding the milk. She reached over the bed to grab them. Ice formed around the bottom of the wooden goblet holding the milk. She picked up the bread and bit into it in earnest. "This tastes so much better here," she half moaned.

"I'm sure they baked it this morning, too." Anna tilted her head. "What's that?" Before Marie could answer, Anna reached over and picked up the goblet, revealing a note underneath. Her eyes skimmed over it before rolling behind her eyelids. "Yeah, yeah…" She reluctantly showed Marie the paper. The words, "Get your own, Anna" were written down. An enormous laugh escaped Marie. She tried covering her mouth to stifle it but to no avail. "It's not _that_ funny!" the Queen snapped.

"I'm sorry!" Marie put a hand on her chest to calm down. "My brother and I are just like that. It reminded me of him." The laughing stopped. Anna leaned forward when Marie lowered the bread and sighed. "…I bet he's losing his mind, wondering where I am. He worries like that."

A soft hand rested on hers. "You'll find your way back. I promise."

Marie smiled. "I hope so."

Anna tapped her finger on her hand. "Can I please have some?" she blurted. Marie laughed again and nodded. "Yes! You're awesome!" She raised it to her lips, only to stop right before taking a drink. "Don't tell my sister."

Water sparkled across the sun's golden rays that shot through the tall glass window that separated the bathing room from the outside world. Marie's brown hair slapped against her bony back and she let out a loud sigh. The royal's head nurse, Johanna, had fetched her to come bathe not long after Anna and her finished breakfast, which Marie was extremely grateful for. She hated body odor and had scrubbed herself vigorously with the lavender soap Elsa had left. Marie slid down in the tub and blew air out of her mouth in exasperation. Johanna had checked on her wound like Elsa ordered her to, but the nurse's reaction now caused Marie to sink even farther into the warm water. "Her Majesty must have been healing it all night!" The plump, warm-hearted nurse had said. "I went in there early this morning, and she was laying by your side with her hand over your forehead, icing it with that magic of hers. I haven't known it to heal, but somehow, she found a way. That young lady…always putting others' needs before her own."

Marie's eyelids drooped in thought. A seagull glided past the window with a caw. Putting others before herself…She stood, ignoring the water that scattered down her bare skin. She knew she was a guest in their kingdom, but why did she feel like she owed Elsa?

"Olaf! Olaf, NO!"

A male tenor giggle sounded behind the door. Marie threw on the pink robe right as the wooden door swung open, a carrot sticking in the keyhole. An arm reached up and grabbed it, and Marie stumbled back as a-…She had to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing it right…a snowman walked through the door. It looked to be around three feet tall with three misshapen parts as the body. Black pebbles decorated his chest while the stick arms adjusted the carrot back into the oblong head. Beady black rocks blinked at Marie in the place of eyeballs. Another giggle echoed through the steamy room, a sound that came from what appeared to be a mouth below the carrot. "You must be Marie!" The snowman looked around the room innocently. "Wooow! I've never seen this room before!"

"There's a reason for that!" Two small hands suddenly grabbed him by the arms and threw him out of view. Anna poked her head in and shot Marie an apologetic smile. "He's faster than he looks…"

"HE'S REAL?!" Marie blurted.

"I think so?" Olaf's white head popped into the doorway. "Are you real?"

He flew out of view yet again as Anna bumped him with her hip. "Why couldn't Elsa take you with her?!" Marie bit her lip to stop from laughing. The Queen sighed heavily. "Anyway, when you're done, come meet me in the entrance hall. There's something that I think you'll like down there."

She nodded, but before the Queen could shut the door to leave, Marie took a step forward. "Hey, Anna?" She leaned back to look at her. "Tonight, is it okay if I use the kitchen?" She pulled the robe closer to her body. "I'd like to make something…for everyone."

The red head formed a huge grin. "Only if you accept helpers." Before Marie could respond, she winked and left her new friend to change in peace.

After she dried off and changed into the new outfit, Marie made her way downstairs after asking for directions. As her feet padded down the smooth carpeted stairs, her heart jumped with warmth at the sound of children's voices. She reached the bottom and saw a small group of grade school aged children romping around Anna, Olaf, a large reindeer and a tall handsome young man with thick blonde hair. Marie's mouth raised into a small smile as some of the children chased him around and he laughed playfully. No wonder Anna fell for him.

Olaf turned his small body towards Marie and waved. "Hey! The tall one is here!" The children stopped frolicking and stared. Marie waved back and made her way over across dark purple carpet. Anna picked up her dark dress and met Marie halfway, her mouth falling open after eying the outfit Marie had put on.

"You look fantastic!" she said in a hushed tone.

Marie looked down at the lavender colored garment. "Thank you. She did an amazing job." The outfit was one solid color with white and light blue snow like patterns running up the arms and shawl. It was form fitting yet comfortable as it hugged her tall thin frame very well. The legs ran down to her lower calves which matched extremely well with her dark brown boots. The sleeves ran to the very end of her arms and stopped right before the wrists with a finger piece that ran over the back of her hand and connected to her middle fingers. A shawl fell to her mid thighs but was cut in the front to accentuate her waist and hips. It buttoned above her collar bone and tied neatly above her right hip. When she walked, the shawl flowed behind her and the rest of the fabric slid over her skin smoothly.

"Yes, she did." Anna leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "I'm kind of jealous. Alright, kids! I'd like to introduce you to Lady Marie. She will be joining us today! I expect the upmost respect while we are out, understood?"

"Is that Queen Elsa's outfit?"

"Are you friends?"

"Why does your hair look like that?"

"How tall are you?"

"Why is your nose so long?"

Question upon question echoed around us. A small smile formed on the corner of Marie's lips as she stomped loudly with her right foot. The children flinched and grew quiet. She crossed her arms and looked at them sternly. "Line up in a straight line for me, please." She motioned with her finger and moved it to her mouth, silently ordering it to be done quietly. The children looked at each other and obeyed, slowly moving into a straight line in front of her.

Kristoff's mouth fell open. "You've got to be kidding me."

Marie squatted and smiled warmly. "That was awesome! Thank you so much. I can already tell that this is a great group. Now, I want us to start at the end of the line over here, and one at a time, tell everyone your name and how old you are. After you do that, you can each ask me one question and I will answer as a thank you. Are we ready to try?" A small chorus of mumbled yeses and eager nods answered her. It warmed her heart. "Great! Let's start with you, sweetie. What's your name?"

A small girl with light brown pigtails stared at Marie nervously. "Wendy," she answered cutely, her tone going up as if she was asking a question. "I'm…fo."

"That's wonderful! Would you like to ask me something, Wendy?"

She nodded, her blue eyes never leaving Marie. "Are you a mommy?"

"No, I'm not a mommy. But I am an Aunty of _seven!_ Isn't that cool?" Wendy nodded while the other kids murmured amongst themselves. They went down the line, each of the eight young children telling the new adult their name and asking a variety of questions like the ones they had asked before. At the end, two fourteen-year-old kids introduced themselves as helpers from an older class. Anna explained that there were a couple of citizens in Arendelle that were sick and needed help with small chores such as wood being hauled in or the floors swept. The children excitedly followed Kristoff as he, Olaf and Sven headed out the castle doors, Anna and Marie trailing behind.

Wendy lingered and eyed Marie's hand before looking away. The woman automatically reached out and took her little hand. She squeezed it gratefully. Anna walked closer and whispered, "How did you do that?"

"I grew up with my nieces and nephews when I was a teen, so I guess it became natural." She looked down at Wendy, who was staring at her. "It's a huge part of who I am."

Anna picked up a six-year-old named Randall as they continued down the stone bridge that connected the castle courtyard to the town. "You'll have to tell me your secrets later while we're in the kitchen!" As the afternoon went by, Marie watched as the children went around Arendelle and helped the needy, eventually roping her in. She obliged and made some chores into a competition for the older kids and a lesson for the younger ones. Kristoff was dared to carry as many logs as he could by a couple boys but was tripped by Sven. Even Anna could not help but laugh. Olaf entertained the littlest ones by rearranging his three body parts. Anna spoke with the adults that walked past and gave high fives and hugs to the children who finished their respective chores. As the afternoon ended and the evening began, the children slowly began to depart with their parents, waving goodbye.

"Lady Marie?" A pretty teenager with curly red hair and large freckles approached.

"Meghan, right?" Marie greeted the helper. Wendy clung onto her hand.

"Will you be here tomorrow as well?" she asked shyly.

"I can be!" Marie looked over her shoulder at the sight of Randall kicking and screaming in Kristoff's arms as the man pulled the child away from his fiancée. Anna looked over at her and shrugged with a bittersweet smile. She looked back at the teenager. "I had a lot of fun today."

"Half off! All flowers half off!" Marie turned towards the voice. A large man waved a yellow rose high in the air, continuing to call to the many people who walked past. Her blue eyes must have lingered longer than she thought, because Meghan grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

"You want one, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, but I-I don't have any money!" Marie exclaimed in a slight fluster.

"That's okay! I work for him sometimes, so he lets me have free ones!" The teen pulled. "Hey, Ron!"

The gentle faced man spread out his arms. "Meghan! How are you, dear? And who is this lovely friend of yours?"

"Her name is Wendy," Marie replied coyly with a huge grin. The girl hid her face in Marie's shawl. The man let out a deep chuckle from his belly. "Nice to meet you, sir. My name is-"

"Marie." A soft voice lightly rang behind her. She immediately felt her face flush at the tone the person has used to say her name before she even recognized who had spoken. Marie turned and blue eyes met blue eyes. Elsa stood with her hands clasped in front of her slender frame, the evening breeze lightly tossing her periwinkle dress around her. She moved her platinum hair to one side, exposing the left side of her neck and shoulder. "It's good to see that you are feeling better."

"Yes." Marie's voice did not come out right away. "Thanks to you."

Elsa's brilliant blue eyes tore away from hers. "You have a new admirer." She leaned down. "Hello, Wendy."

The little girl smiled shyly before embracing the former Queen. When she withdrew, Marie knelt and held Wendy's hand. Elsa offered her own to which the girl took as well. Marie's heart swelled at the size of Wendy's smile. "Wendy and I are best friends now, aren't we?" Marie asked, nudging her fondly. "She's a very special girl."

Elsa's eyes rested on the other woman before turning back to Wendy. "Yes."

Marie rose and turned to the florist. "I better not keep her parents waiting."

"Of course!" Ron replied cheerfully. Elsa rose and walked to the other side of Meghan, her eyes gazing at the magnificent array of flowers before her. "What do you have in mind?"

Marie looked over at Meghan, who nodded. She leaned forward and whispered in the man's ear what she desired to get. "Am I allowed to get that many?"

Ron laughed and retrieved four flowers. "Just this once."

Marie held out her hands while Wendy clung to her shawl. "Um…which ones are which?" she asked innocently. When the florist leaned forward to clarify, she thanked him and turned to Wendy. "For you." Marie handed her a yellow rose. She held it up to her nose with a huge smile. The woman turned to Meghan, who was having a conversation with Elsa. "For you, for all your help today," Marie said with a smile. Meghan grabbed it and turned to the royal with a look of surprise and glee. "And I'm saving these two."

Meghan caught sight of the flowers and gasped. "Who are _those_ for?"

Marie hid them behind her back as Elsa peeked curiously, her blue eyes searching for the cause for the teen's reaction. "That's for me know and for you to-"

A strong wind suddenly blew through the courtyard. Wendy let out a terrified scream as the gust nearly blew the girl over. Ron desperately tried to hold his flower stand down. "What is going on?" he grunted.

Elsa stepped in front of them and held out her arm as a shield. "Ron, get them out of here." The command rang out effortlessly from her mouth. Marie guided Wendy to Ron and grunted when the wind continued to cause havoc. People yelled and sprinted past them, heading for shelter as tree limbs and light objects from around the square flew around like bullets. Marie placed a hand on the ground to steady herself, blocking incoming debris. Elsa conjured an ice shield in her right hand and knocked away a large branch. "Marie! You must get out of here! I can't protect us both!" A strong blast of air hit the shield. Elsa let out a scream of alarm as she lost her footing. Marie grabbed her hips and pushed into the ground, rebalancing them both. It took Elsa's strength and Marie's support to keep them both upright.

Marie managed to move her hands up to Elsa's shoulders. "If I didn't leave you to those damn wolves, I'm not going to leave you during a storm!"

Elsa turned her face towards her, some of her blonde hair hitting Marie in the face. "You got hurt because I didn't stop you. I'm not letting that happen again!" she yelled over the howl of air.

They both winced as a large barrel slammed into the shield. Elsa lost her footing and fell into Marie, but she pushed the mage back to her resilient feet. "I thought I was dreaming up until around twelve hours ago! Do you blame me?! And don't stay up all night just to heal me!"

"You must…!" She was interrupted as something crashed through a window in a house behind them. Elsa gritted her teeth. "…argue with helpful people often!" Marie could not help but let out a frustrated laugh. An oar hit the shield and ricocheted above them, following the air current and slamming down directly behind where they stood. Marie instinctively shielded Elsa's body with her own. She gasped and pushed forward with her creation. "Are you okay?" Marie nodded into her back, her body starting to shake. The mage shifted her stance. "We need to _do_ something!"

Marie pushed against her small but lithe shoulders. "Maybe we can go far enough away to shield the town!"

"So I can make a barrier without worrying about the wind!" Elsa gripped her shield tighter. "Good idea!" They both cried out when the wind became even stronger than before. It almost blasted them off their feet. "Marie! Get out of here NOW!"

"I'm taking you with me!" She yelled in Elsa's ear. A crack filled the small pocket of space where they were sheltered, and they both could only stare in horror as the top of Elsa's ice shield was chipping away.

"No…" Her hair stuck to a part of her face as she looked at her kingdom's newcomer. "Marie! Let go!"

Marie groaned as she walked forward but did not move an inch. "Don't…give…up!" Suddenly they both fell forward as the wind died. Elsa slammed into her shield as Marie fell on top of her. The air was forced out of Elsa's body and she let out a groan. Marie coughed. "You okay?" she gasped in between breaths.

Elsa never got to answer. A swirl of wind surrounded them, trailing into the sky like a dark torpedo. Marie placed her hands on either side of Elsa as she conjured a thick rod and stabbed it into the ground. A deep rumble surrounded the two, echoing within the gust of darkness. They froze. It wasn't the wind. It was a laugh.

"Y-you can hear it, too, right?" Marie managed to get out. Elsa nodded. The darkness dripped down and, to their horror, began to form the shape of a human. The torpedo dissipated, but they were too terrified to move. Debris began slamming into the ground and onto the roofs of houses. Marie hovered over Elsa, her eyes shaking. "It's him. The one that brought me here."

Elsa lifted her upper body up shakily. "It's the dark wind."

More evil laughter filled the air, but this time it was emanating from the mouth of what appeared to be the form of a young woman. Darkness oozed and spat out of the figure, which pointed a black blade straight at them. Marie slammed her fist into the ground in pure anger. "What do you want?!" she screamed, throwing her arm to the side. A firm yet soft hand pressed into her chest. She looked at Elsa in confusion. She stared straight at the figure while ice glowed from her hand, forming armor over their bodies. The figure titled its blade and dove straight into Marie's chest.


	5. Chapter 4

"Marie?" Elsa coughed and pushed her ice armored body up. "Marie!" The woman in front of her did not move after the dark wind figure had shot into her. With a grunt, Elsa shimmied around her, setting her hands on Marie's shoulders. "Hey! Answer me!" It all happened so fast. The darkness swirled around Marie, eventually soaking into her pale skin like water to a starved plant. Marie's blue eyes shook, slowly making their way to Elsa.

Marie woke in darkness. There was nothing. No sound, no shape, no temperature to tell her where she was and how to get out. "Hello?" Her voice went nowhere yet echoed throughout the shapeless chamber. She clenched her fists. She had to get back to her. Who knows what could be happening out there?

"There's no need to worry about that."

Marie jumped backwards, suddenly realizing that her body virtually had no weight. "Who's there?" A figure formed before her. There was no detail from it. It was just darkness in the form of a human. Marie gasped when she recognized it. "It's you," she breathed. Her body threw itself into a defensive stance. "What do you want from me?! Tell me who you really are!"

The form lifted one of its arms into the air, and a beam of light shot from its hand. Marie flinched, covering her eyes. A circle made of light floated above its head, but there was a crack within its form. "There is an imbalance." Marie took a step back when the darkness spoke.

Elsa set her hands on Marie's cheeks. "Can you hear me?"

A tear leaked from her eyes that had been taken over by darkness. "…Keep me…distracted…"

The guardian shook her head. "What?" Darkness shot out from Marie's body. Elsa let out a shout of alarm as she was thrown backwards into the air. She heard her sister cry out but could not see anyone since the dark tornado had formed a barrier between her and the citizens. Elsa gritted her teeth and twisted her body while it flung through the air, ice forming at her feet as she caught herself and slid to the ground. Marie's face was emotionless, and her eyes were blank. Elsa raised her long arms, a thin sword spreading across the tips of her fingers as she ran a hand through the air to form the blade. Elsa took a step forward. "Marie! What is going on?" Marie swung the blade to her side before flinging forward, straight for the ice mage.

Within the darkness, Marie looked up at the broken circle. Within its light, various forms of life were flashing across its surface. Lives were born, growing with time, and as the circle curved upward towards its end, lives were dying. She looked at the darkness. It stood motionless, seemingly observing her. "Since the beginning of time, there has been darkness and light. Life and death." The darkness moved its arm down, moving the circle with it so it shone between the two of them. "Neither is evil, and both are necessary. One cannot exist without the other. However, there has formed an imbalance." The circle hummed as the darkness moved its arm to spin the symbol around, emphasizing the break. "Death has slowed."

Elsa threw up a barrage of ice, stopping the dark form of Marie from piercing her flesh. She was quicker than the royal thought. In an instant, Marie withdrew the sword and swung it towards Elsa once more. Elsa conjured an ice sword and their blades collided. Both the cold and the darkness swelled before shooting off in all directions. They struggled while Marie continued to be expressionless. "What are you doing?" Elsa yelled. "This isn't like you!"

A strained gasp from Marie caught Elsa's attention, causing her heart to lurch within her chest. Marie's mouth opened slightly. "…Distract…me…" Their blades released and the two women shot backward. Blades formed on the bottom of Elsa's feet, causing everything it touched to turn to ice. To her surprise, it worked on the darkness, freezing the trail of black that followed Marie. The foreigner's body gracefully twirled in the air like a bird, avoiding the ice that trailed her. Elsa gasped in awe, only to be interrupted as Marie flew straight for her in a dive. Elsa landed on the fjord and jumped right as Marie would have collided with her. Water erupted into the air. Elsa threw her arms out and froze the aqua into shards, flinging her body around as her feet glided across the surface of the water. Marie shot out the fjord and levitated a few feet above the surface.

Elsa aimed for her. "Whatever you are, let her go!" Marie raised the dark blade. With a holler, Elsa released the needles of ice and watched them zoom towards her friend at an alarming speed. Marie began blocking the shards with precise and lightning fast strikes. Red liquid flew into the air and splattered some of the shards. _Her body can't keep up with that speed!_ Shards cut into the arms of Marie that she could not block. Elsa threw her hands behind her back and shot blasts of ice from them, causing her to launch forward. She conjured large icicles to form around Marie's body, pinning the woman in place. With labored breathes, Elsa glided into a stop before her, her blue eyes piercing. "Who are you?"

"Death has…slowed?" Marie asked, peering into the detail of the circle.

"Light has grown while darkness has dwindled. The balance has been interrupted. Life and death are no longer equals and the darkness has been forced to find its own balance. That's where you two come in."

Within the circle, the scene from Arendelle appeared. Marie gasped in horror. Her body was moving on its own while Elsa and she fought over the town's fjord. Elsa was trying to communicate with her, but Marie's body was possessed. She snarled. "You expect me to believe anything you're saying? You're having me fight someone right now!"

The darkness flicked the image away. "That is not me. It is darkness, but we are not the same." Marie narrowed her eyes but listened. She could not explain why, but she could sense that this entity was not lying. "In your world, there is no physical magic. But there is a power of another kind, one that is found everywhere but has favored some more than others." It moved its hand, and the circle showed the image of a little girl with dark blonde hair running with her dog. "The power of will, or the power of the spirit."

The little girl's laughter rang all around.

"You and Elsa met when both your powers were brand new to you both, but nonetheless you connected through time and space." The image changed to the memory of Elsa and her as little girls speaking through the rift. "She has overcome death with her power that connects spirits and people, while you have overcome death with the power of the human spirit. You were bound to find each other." The image turned into Elsa as a teenager. She was looking through the rift and screaming at a teenage version of Marie, but she could not reach her. It was the memory she spoke of the night before. Marie's eyes welled with tears. "You both have the ability to distinguish light from dark, life from death, because you have both experienced each and have overcome them."

As the images showed various images of Elsa surviving Han's attempted murder and Ahtohollan's absolute zero, the images of Marie's life caused her to stir. She said, "Elsa is special, and not because she has magic. But what you're suggesting with these memories with me doesn't make sense." Marie eyed the images before continuing. "I've nearly died before, sure, but so have billions of other people. And even if my world doesn't have magic, I'm not special by any means. I have no power or influence. I haven't done anything with my life, unlike Elsa. I'm just…" Marie's hands lifted, and she stared at them. "…me."

The darkness turned the circle, so they were visible to each other through its rings. "Is that why you were able to exchange your life to save her, but you survived?" Marie looked up as it displayed a memory of Elsa sprinting towards her while she was surrounded by wolves. Marie's breath caught in her throat. Elsa let out a bloodcurdling scream as she watched the wolves rip into Marie's flesh. Darkness surrounded Elsa, telling her that Marie could be saved, but for a price. Elsa did not hesitate to offer her own life in exchange for Marie's as the wolves charged for her. It complied and she was given time to grab the branch and swing it at the wolves, rewriting time to where Marie lived. Marie then tried resuscitating her but when they made contact, the familiar sight of the rift surrounded them. When Marie had suddenly felt lifeless, it was because they had gone through the rift, but all Marie had seen was darkness. Marie agreed to die in Elsa's place, but before her last breath left her, they were in Arendelle on the edge of the forest near town. Elsa then carried her to the castle while the image faded. Marie took a shaky step back.

"She didn't tell me…" Marie's gaze shot to the dark figure. "Why am I still alive?!"

The figure responded, "I told you; you have the power of the spirit."

Elsa lifted her arms, giant ice walls surrounding her and Marie's trapped body. As the water leaked out the sides, Elsa turned towards the limp young woman, her own body shaking. "Did I distract you enough?"

A beam of darkness shot out of Marie's mouth. Elsa dodged it while the brunette's head moved, directing the beam at the walls. The former queen gasped when the walls of her prison began to crumble. The outline of Marie's body was encompassed with darkness before it broke through the icicles holding her in place. As the ice chunks fell into the fjord, Marie's blade rose above her head and formed a large dark circle. Elsa's eyes grew wide as the image of Marie came into focus. She was in a completely dark void, a ring made of light and a dark figure standing before her.

"You both have stopped the wrath of death, causing the circle to be broken in your timelines. By having the power to overcome death and choosing it willingly to save each other, you both have been chosen to rebalance light and darkness." The dark figure was speaking to Marie but did not give off a sense of evil or malice. It was as though the figure was the circle itself, both light and darkness, both life and death. She could see that Marie had recognized this as well. "Remember, darkness is neither good nor evil. It is necessary. Right now, your body has finished being darkness's catalyst. Even though you were here with me, you communicated with Elsa, and she was able to stop the unbalanced darkness."

""Unbalanced?"" both Marie and Elsa asked. Marie looked around the void as though she had heard Elsa's voice, and the royal felt her chest tighten.

"In its attempt to rebalance with the light, darkness has gone out of control. There has always been those with enough power to stop the light from taking over, but there have never been the right powers to confront the darkness. It was always seen as evil and destructive. But death begets birth. One cannot happen without the other. You must vanquish the imbalance in this world, together." Suddenly the circle faded into the twilight sky as though it were dust. Marie's body lowered the sword and floated motionlessly. Elsa stood for a moment before skating in front of her.

"Marie?" her voice ventured forth with worry. Marie's body was still cloaked in darkness and her face was expressionless. Her sword hung limply in her right hand. Elsa readied her own ice blade in hesitation. The darkness lifted off Marie with an elongated hiss and the young woman fell forward, her eyes closed, and body completely beaten. "Marie!" Elsa jumped forward and caught her. She clasped Marie close to her chest and glided on her ice skates to the bank of the courtyard. Elsa set her on the ground but did not let go as she leaned in, her brilliant blue eyes piercing into Marie with panic. "Can you hear me? Marie!"

"Elsa!" The royal looked up to see her sister running towards her, Kristoff and the townspeople close behind. "We saw everything in that giant circle!"

"Is everyone okay?" Elsa pulled Marie closer to her as her sister knelt on the other side of her.

"Yes, we all got to safety. The storm was mainly around the two of you." Anna raised her hands with hesitation, unsure of how to help. "Is she-?"

"I-I don't know," Elsa stuttered. She shook the woman. "Please wake up! Please." In desperation, she set her forehead against Marie's. "I told you not to worry me anymore…" She felt her sister's hand rest on her shoulder.

A cough sounded below her. Elsa's heart felt like it was going to pound out of her small chest as Marie inhaled sharply. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly. "Wen…Wend…Meg…"

"They're okay! They're safe!" Anna assured, grabbing one of Marie's blood-stained hands in her own. "Everyone saw what happened. We saw what that thing did to you." Marie's eyes found the citizens behind the Queen. Anna shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. No one was hurt."

Marie moved her tired gaze to Elsa, who was staring at all the cut wounds from her own shards. "Did I…hurt…you?" she asked slowly, her soft voice full of concern.

Elsa laughed in a mixture of disbelief and relief and shook her head. "I'm fine!" She let out a shaky breath and set her forehead against Marie's, pulling her closer still. "I'm all right…" Anna sobbed and wrapped her arms around the two. Elsa could not help but enjoy Marie's light breath on the side of her neck. _At least she is breathing_, she thought to herself, letting her armor melt off her and shatter onto the stone ground.

Elsa rested her hand on the door leading to the bathing room before withdrawing it. The royal guards were cleaning up the square while her and Anna had retreated to the castle to discuss with the council what everyone had witnessed. Anna had ordered that everyone recuperate and meet a couple hours after. Elsa knew it was because Anna wanted to make sure the wounded were properly taken care of first. Marie had been rushed to the bathing room with several nurses to clean her wounds. Elsa now found herself outside of the room, listening in distress as Marie's cries sounded from within.

"Hey." Anna approached her sister with a soft gaze. "Did you get looked at?"

"I'm fine," Elsa retorted quickly. Anna set a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just-…" Elsa turned away. "I did that to her."

"Because you had no other choice. She understands that." Anna made a face. "I know I understood it…You two only mentioned it ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CASTLE." When her sister only grew more distressed, the Queen hugged her. "It kinda stinks having someone you care about constantly refusing your help, doesn't it?"

Elsa could not help but chuckle. "Anna," she said in irritation.

Anna laughed and opened the door. Elsa turned away quickly when the sight of Marie's bare body met her eyes. "How is everything in here?"

"Fine." Johanna wrapped a large towel around Marie, causing the young woman to grunt in pain. "This is a squirrely one, all right. Keeps telling us that she can bathe herself."

Elsa turned her attention inside the room as an uncomfortable chuckle filled the atmosphere. "But I can," Marie stated.

"I bet you can!" Johanna snapped, smacking Marie on the arm. "But not with those arms!"

Marie caught sight of the sisters in the doorway and whipped around shyly. "Can I at least dress myself alone?" Anna shut the doors in response.

"At least get yourself changed while you wait," Anna suggested, giving Elsa a smile before walking down the hall. Elsa looked at the floor with flushed cheeks.

Marie groaned. She was forced to lay on a stone bench inside the bathing room while the Johanna dressed her wounds in a strong herbal cream. It stung on contact, but she did not fight it. She was dressed in a baggy tan undershirt that barely covered her small chest and knee length shorts that loosely clung to her hips. A string lazily tightened them, but Marie felt that if she stood, they would fall, and the shirt would hang past her chest. "You're to stay here and wait for Her Majesty's orders," Johanna commanded, her rough hands cleaning up the dirty laundry.

Marie turned her head to look at her. "Thanks."

Johanna shot her a look before rising. "It's okay to let people help you once in a while." A knock sounded on the door. Johanna answered with a call, and a blonde head poked through. Elsa had changed into a dark grey evening outfit. She closed the door behind her, her eyes finding Marie before greeting Johanna and the other nurses. Johanna shooed the other women out and departed.

Elsa made her way to Marie, her feet barely making any noise as she walked. "How are you feeling?"

Marie looked at her before turning her gaze to the ceiling. "It's strange having others bathe you, that's for sure." Elsa pulled up an empty wooden barrel and sat down quietly. Marie could feel her eyes on her wounds. "You don't have to do this to yourself."

Elsa flinched slightly. "What do you mean?" When Marie casted her a knowing look, the royal took in a deep breath. "Yes, I do."

"I asked you to distract me, didn't I?" Marie tried pushing herself up but winced when she put weight on her arms. Elsa immediately stood and aided her, sitting on the bench near her. Marie set her arms down. "I knew that it wanted to attack us. And I would have fought if it took control over you." The warmth of Marie's freshly bathed skin warmed Elsa's back. The former queen clasped her hands together and shifted. A chuckle sounded from Marie. "Even though I would have majorly lost." Her smile caused Elsa to form a small smile for a moment before it quickly faded away. "It doesn't make any sense…it told me that I had overcome death AND life, but…" Marie pulled her legs closer to her chest. "I've done nothing in my life. I don't have a job, I never finished school, I was drawing disability for PTSD and I was broke off my ass. I wasn't special by any means." Elsa glared at her. Marie looked away. "You have to understand. Life could have chosen the person on the Valedictorian's list or with something to their name. Not…this." Her medium length brown hair fell in front of her face as Marie lowered her head. "I'm a college dropout with nothing to my name except the disappointment of my family."

Elsa remained quiet before responding. "If you truly feel that way about yourself, then why did you fight so hard to live?" Marie let out a small grunt of surprise at her question. "One who has nothing to live for doesn't fight the way you did."

They both watched the water on the floor flow into a drain near them. Marie sighed. "Maybe it was my dream. I wanted to help children who had gone through similar things as I did so they didn't feel so hopeless. And I wanted to be a writer. Maybe that's why I fought."

"Were you doing those things?"

Marie smiled slightly before looking at Elsa. "Yeah, I guess I was, in a way. Not as a career but I was getting there. I wasn't any queen, though."

The blonde leaned back on her right arm. "I was groomed for that position. It wasn't until last year that I was finally living for myself. I liked my life, but I always felt something calling me that wasn't in the castle."

Marie set her defined jaw on her knees, her arms tucked underneath. "Into the Unknown," she muttered. Elsa looked at her curiously, but Marie only shook her head in dismissal. "Why are you at the castle, if I may ask?"

"Anna invited me, but I've been coming to see her more often lately because I can tell she's lonely." A smile formed on Elsa's lips. "And nervous for the wedding."

Marie perked up. "When is that?"

"Next month."

"That's so exciting!" Both women laughed at the childlike tone Marie had suddenly developed. Her body tensed, however, and Elsa looked at her in concern. Marie hid her face. "…I don't think I can go back. That was the deal. If I saved you, then I couldn't return to my world." Her shoulders began quivering to stop herself from crying. The blonde royal reached out a hand to comfort Marie but withdrew it uncertainly. "You're right. I _do_ have something to live for. The people I love. But how can I fight for someone who I'll never see again?"

"Listen." Elsa rested her hands on Marie's wet cheeks and gently raised her face until they made eye contact. "We'll find a way to change that. We don't even understand everything that is going on, so there has to be a way for you to go back to them." Marie's tears ran over Elsa's fingers. She could tell that Marie was not one to cry that often by the look that engulfed her deep blue eyes. Elsa wiped her tears. "We're in this together."

"I've always dealt with things alone." Marie's voice sounded so wounded, so vulnerable.

Elsa's heart lurched within her chest. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Marie's. "Not anymore," Elsa whispered deeply. She froze. The fifth spirit pulled away, grasping her shoulders in embarrassment.

"Thank you," Marie said softly. She let out a grunt of pain before laying down on her back. "I hope you don't mind if I lay down. My arms didn't like it when I moved around." The undershirt she wore revealed one of her thin, accentuated shoulders and half her collar bone as her brown hair spread out behind her long neck. Elsa stood and moved away after finding herself staring. Marie tried adjusting her shirt but to no avail. "Ugh! This sucks!"

A laugh escaped Elsa. "You have the strangest sayings." The royal looked down at her hands. "I can try healing you again."

"But you stayed up all night last night," Marie complained. "I'll be fine. I don't want you to exert yourself."

"I built an ice palace in a matter of seconds. I think I can handle some scrapes." Elsa locked the door before turning back to Marie. "I made sure they only stopped your body and didn't go too deep."

"I noticed that, but I attacked you first…But you've already made up your mind, haven't you?" Marie rubbed her knees together when Elsa crossed her arms and glared at her. "Fine. But I get to bake you something."

"Something with chocolate will do." Elsa pulled the barrel to the end of the bench near her head. "I can use both hands and start at your arms first. This angle should work just fine." She sat and pulled Marie's sleeves up towards her shoulders. Marie stiffened. Elsa leaned forward and began lightly touching wounds on either side of Marie's arms, her fingertips glowing. She tried to ignore Marie's warm breath on her upper chest, but it was difficult since they were only inches apart from each other. Her friend's fingers dug into the bench, and Elsa could only imagine that it was due to pain. A couple minutes passed before Elsa withdrew.

"You smell nice," Marie blurted.

Elsa blushed and fidgeted with her sleeve, completely distracted. "Thank you. That lavender suits you as well." She blinked to refocus. "This might take a while."

"You don't have to push yourself." Marie's voice was full of concern, so Elsa did not mind.

Elsa eyed the many scrapes on Marie's body that she had caused. "I'm doing this." Elsa moved to her lower body. "Forgive me for being abrupt, but it would be easier if I straddled you." Marie's eyes grew wide, causing the blonde to sheepishly clasp her hands together. "I can see every wound that way."

"O-of course. Sorry." Marie forced an arm to move so she could cover her face with the back of her hand. The former princess eased herself over Marie, spreading her dress over the woman's small yet curved hips as her own body moved downward. Marie covered more of her red face as Elsa settled, causing the blonde to turn an equal shade of red. Her soft fingers slid over Marie's collar bone where a shard had sliced her skin open, but when she touched it, Marie jerked.

Elsa grew alarmed when her own legs caught Marie's hips mid buckle. She sat up, her weight being pressed on Marie's hips. "Are you okay?" Her voice was shaking, and she put a hand over her throat in embarrassment. "I can get off if this makes you uncomfortable."

"No, I'm sorry! I'm just…" Marie's arms flopped to her sides in exasperation. "…I'm not used to this." When Elsa began to slide off, Marie stopped her by lifting her knees. Elsa was tipped forward but luckily caught herself on the bench. "Stay. I need to get over it." Marie relaxed and closed her eyes. "I _will_ get over it."

Elsa slowly brought a hand over Marie's collar bone before resuming healing. The woman flinched. Elsa rested her hand on her skin. "What happened that day? It may sound strange, but water has memory, and your skin is shaking with fear. I think it might help to talk about it."

Marie turned her head and stared blankly at the opposite wall. "There was a man who was…" Her face scrunched in thought at their language barrier. "…He was after me. One day, he did something awful, and the only thing I could do was run away. Once I was in a safe place, I finally had time to realize what had just happened, and…that's what you saw." Elsa felt her eyes swell. That day, she had witnessed a complete reality shift. Marie had been screaming into the air with such despair, self-hatred, brokenness and betrayal. Marie tensed below her. "You're supposed to trust your parents, right?" Elsa felt her chest tighten. "But he took that trust and-" Marie's voice broke.

Elsa quickly wiped away a tear that had fallen down her pale cheek. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay!" Marie responded in a brighter tone. "I've come a long way. I guess the part that sets me back isn't forgiving him but forgiving myself. I've let it destroy me to the point where I don't know how to live like everyone else. I just feel so…"

"Different," Elsa finished. Marie nodded. Elsa continued healing, her fingertips resting gently on the wounds as they glowed with a light blue hue. Her eyes washed over Marie, who was still staring into the distance. "Anna helped me get through the worst of everything. Your story says that your mother, brother and sister helped you."

"They have, and I love them, but…" Marie closed her eyes and turned her head upright. "It's somehow not enough. Almost like I'm trying to light a fire that has burned out a long time ago." As Elsa began to pull down Marie's shirt over her shoulder, the young woman grunted in surprise and slapped a hand up to stop her. "Wh-what are you doing?"

Elsa withdrew. "I have to see it to heal it. I'm not going to hurt you."

"…It just surprised me…" Elsa grew frustrated with herself when she felt her chest flutter at Marie's shy statement.

Elsa touched the surface of a wound cut across the top of Marie's left shoulder. "I thought you said you've had the company of another before?" She tried desperately to ask with an air of casualness despite the curiosity gnawing at her. "Shouldn't these encounters be comfortable for you?"

"That's not how it works. At least, for me it's not. I can't speak for other people." Marie narrowed her eyes. "And that doesn't mean I threw myself at other people! I was actually very reserved for my age…It took a lot for me. But that was then. Now I really don't desire love or affection."

Elsa's hand hovered over Marie's upper arm. "That sounds lonely."

Marie looked at her. "It won't be that way forever. But I'm not going to force something that can't be rushed."

A smile formed on Elsa's lips. "Are you sure you've never been to Ahtohalan before?" Both women laughed softly. Her hands continued to emit a soft blaze of magic as the evening rolled on. Elsa noted that after Marie had spoken, her body had relaxed below her. The brunette was no longer shaking, although her skin was still flushed from Elsa's hips pressing against hers. Elsa brushed a few loose blonde locks out of her face and sighed. "I can finish this faster if I…" Elsa turned red and leaned back.

Marie looked at her. "If you what?" Elsa shook her head and set her fingertips on both sides of her arms and continued releasing her power. Marie lifted a hand up and set it on Elsa's hands. "Hey, you can tell me." Marie gave her a confident yet gentle smile. Elsa tensed, causing Marie's body to react to hers. She looked at the brunette. Marie was gazing at her with intense blue eyes.

Elsa smoothed out her already smooth hair. "Last night, I actually fell asleep while healing you. My hand was still on your forehead, but…" The royal paused in embarrassment. Marie waited patiently. "When I woke, our foreheads were touching, and your bump was gone. I'm not sure how, but it must have been my magic." Elsa raised her hands and stared at them. "I'm still learning my power."

"I trust you, so don't be afraid." Marie's warm smile rained over Elsa like a storm. Elsa leaned down and pulled the shirt farther off Marie's shoulder. The woman's skin was hot to the touch. She felt the power inside of her ignite.

Elsa leaned down. "Okay. This might get cold." Her heart pounded in her small chest as their foreheads made contact. Elsa found the press of Marie's mixed European facial features on her own to be oddly comforting yet enticing. The fifth spirit's breath ran down Marie's right cheek as she whispered, "Keep your eyes closed."

"Okay." Marie's own breath ran up Elsa's cheek and onto her ear. The snow queen's hands ran up Marie's arms and began pulsating out a constant chill targeted at the wounds. She moved her hands down and continued. Her hands found another scrape from her own ice shards and pressed against it. She had hurt Marie. Now all she wanted was to take her pain away. As the young woman breathed onto her skin and began to shake beneath her, Elsa could not help but move closer to her, her hips sinking into Marie's body. The woman's body tried to fight back the urge to quiver against the royal's. Her skin was giving off waves of heat that hit Elsa in fervor.

"I'm going to move your shirt, okay?" Elsa was shocked to find that her voice was soft yet firm, shaky but sure. Their heads began to turn to the side and Elsa could not help but eye the long, exposed neck of Marie that was a mere inch away. She pressed her forehead into Marie's even harder as her fingers hooked the bottom of the foreigner's shirt and pulled up. Her fingertips glided across Marie's smooth skin shyly yet curiously. Elsa shifted her body to peer at the wounds with regret before placing her entire palms on her sides. An audible gasp escaped Marie's lips.

"Is it too cold?" Elsa breathed, pulling away.

"N-no. It's fine." The voice below her did not sound like the wise, confident young woman Elsa knew. Marie's voice was shaky and higher pitched with willing vulnerability. Her skin smelled of lavender and water. Elsa leaned back down and drank it in much to her will. Marie's body, although long and thin, was incredibly soft and hot to the touch. She was around twenty pounds heavier and three inches taller than Elsa, but she wore it well. Her beautifully thin and tall frame was also curved at the hips and legs, to which Elsa could feel as her hands wrapped around Marie's sides. Her hands grabbed onto her sides as her magic flowed into her friend's broken skin. Marie pressed her face into Elsa's, her hot breath sending shivers throughout the royal's body. They pressed into each other and Elsa gasped lightly when Marie's hands wrapped gently around her forearms. Elsa withdrew and they stared at each other for several moments, each breathless, each very aware of how their bodies were positioned.

"I'm done," Elsa whispered.

Knocking interrupted them. "Are you two almost ready? The meeting is about to start." Elsa sat up and pushed herself off as her sister's voice echoed behind the door.

"Yes, we'll be right there!" The former queen smoothed out her gray dress before helping Marie to her feet. Elsa slowly departed, her eyes wandering back to Marie more than once. She closed the door and silently headed for her own room upstairs and to the right. Shutting the heavy wooden door behind her, Elsa slunk to the floor with a racing heart, her body igniting with a chilled fervor.


	6. Chapter 5

Mattias overwhelmed Marie. The young woman let out a startled grunt as she fell to the ground. The dark-skinned man sheathed his mock sword. "Dead." Marie rose to her feet and faced him. Mattias ran towards her once more. She eyed him and jumped to the side as he approached but the man side-stepped, and her gut was met with his fist. "Dead. Again."

Marie brushed herself off. "That's the tenth time in a row. What am I doing wrong?"

"You're thinking too much. You have to feel a battle." Mattias waved to another soldier who passed them in the castle courtyard. The trees rustled lazily in the summer breeze and the sun was shining eagerly down on them. "You must not have had combat lessons in your world."

Marie shook her head in response before walking to a nearby stone bench to retrieve some water. "No. I took some martial arts, but very briefly. And I did some mock sparring as a kid."

She jumped when her eyes landed on Olaf, who was sitting on the bench and wiggling his snow feet. He giggled. "The children love to mock spar with me. Sometimes they even want to use my stones as weapons, but Anna won't let them."

Mattias paused before grabbing his own water from Olaf's wooden hand. "And for good reason."

Marie splashed some water on her face. "I hope the rock trolls have some answers about all this. I'm already confused enough as it is."

"I'm sure the council meeting didn't help, either," the General said. Marie nodded. Last night, members of the Arendellian council met along with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Mattias. Marie and Elsa had shared their stories about the rift and their battle in the town square. She picked up a wooden sword and twirled it in her right hand. Not much was resolved. Elsa was put in charge of ridding the kingdom from the darkness' threat and Anna was to oversee preparations. Marie felt helpless. She did not have any magic to fight it, so how could she help? Her hand raised slightly, and she glanced down at it. When it had overtaken her, she could still feel everything. The darkness was desperate and angry, but it was not evil. It seemed frightened and threatened, but Elsa had quelled it. All of this was discussed in the meeting.

"Can I try something?" Marie asked the officer. He grabbed his own wooden sword and stretched his shoulders as he nodded. She swung the light wooden blade before her while transferring it to her left hand. "Let me spare with you."

Mattias chuckled before readying his weapon. "Don't complain if you get hurt. Her Majesty ordered you to learn how to fight."

A small smile spread across Marie's face. "Yes, Sir." _Feel, don't think._ She exhaled and emptied her mind. A pulse of energy shot throughout her body, and she charged forward with a single leap. Her blade tapped against Mattias's before she switched hands and battered his counterguard three times. Her foot landed on the dirt below her and she leapt to the side while the wooden blade switched to a backwards swing, the tip aiming for Mattias's hand on the hilt. He retaliated with a strong swing underneath Marie, who caught his blade with her own before twirling the wood pieces together and forcing them up. His blade flew into the air before clanking on the ground. Marie stood with her back to Mattias. When she heard him stir, her left arm shot out behind her, the blade coming within an inch of his throat.

"Wh-whoa!" The man fell to the ground, his arms raised.

Marie looked behind her and let out a scream. Her entire arm was engulfed in what appeared to be small currents of dark waves. Her wooden blade was engulfed in it, but the very center was glowing with a strong light. She dropped her blade and bolted behind Olaf. "Wh-what is that thing?!"

The wooden sword fell to the ground. She looked at her arm. It was back to normal. Olaf turned his entire head to stare. "You know, they always say "watch out for the strange ones" for a reason."

"W-was that really from me?" Marie's hands were shaking as she stared at them in horror. "D-did I do that?"

"It didn't feel threatening!" Mattias assured, raising his arms to alleviate her. "You were in control of it."

Marie did not listen. She bolted out of the courtyard. A passing maidservant let out a startled holler when the young woman ran into her in the stone hallway. She ran through the corridor, her hands washed over with darkness like water.

"Marie! Wait!" a voice called behind her. But she ignored it. Townspeople jumped out of the way as Marie sprinted passed them. _My feet are moving faster than they've ever gone!_ she thought to herself. She was a quick runner as a child, but as the world blurred around her, she realized that her body was moving through the town more quickly than she had ever run in her life. The land slanted upward at the edge of town. She braced herself for the incline, wishing internally that she could leap to the top. Suddenly her body leaped, and she screamed. The forest flew by underneath her. The air whipped her face as she flung through it and the air pressure decreased around her body. Her long arms waved maniacally in the air as the scream continued to escape her mouth. The forest disappeared beneath her, and Marie gasped in horror as the earth plunged and the fjord was looming below. Her body floated momentarily before falling towards the water.

"SHIT!" she yelled. The wind roared in her ears as gravity hungrily pulled her down towards the deep water.

"Gale! Now!" A gust of warm wind whirled around Marie soon after the voice called out. It seemingly caught her mid-air, slowing her down as much as possible before her body was pulled towards the water once more. The sun's rays reflecting off a white surface caught Marie's eye, and she looked down to see a woman riding a transparent horse on the surface of the water. The water spirit leaped upward towards a block of ice that Elsa conjured. Its hooves crashed into the frozen water and Elsa jumped towards Marie. With a grunt, the former queen caught Marie in mid-air. Marie's eyes grew wide when she realized that they were both thundering down towards the water. They crashed into the fjord from a height of at least fifty feet, their bodies growing limp from the impact. Marie's eyes fluttered for a few seconds before they took in the image of The Nokk rushing towards them with its powerful body. Elsa reached out an arm and the horse caught it, pulling them towards the surface.

Marie and Elsa gasped loudly as The Nokk broke the surface and dragged them to the shore. The women coughed and pulled themselves onto the nearby sand. The water spirit neighed and nodded its head in worry. Elsa set a hand on its forehead with a smile. It departed into the water, but the surface did not ripple. Marie flipped over on her bottom and shook her head. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know there was a drop off there." She looked over at Elsa, who sat next to her. "Are you okay?"

Marie felt her chest tighten when Elsa hid a smile. Her shoulders shook, but she could not hold herself back from the onslaught of laughter that escaped her. Elsa tipped her head back and let herself laugh. "You should have seen yourself! Flying through the air like that!" Her arm moved through the air in imitation. She wiped a tear from her eye. "I shouldn't laugh, but-!" More laughter ensued.

Marie tried to frown but could not help but giggle as Elsa continued to laugh next to her. "S-shut up! It scared the shit out of me!" Elsa held her stomach before rocking on her back, the air filled with her laughter. Marie shook her head but joined.

Elsa calmed down and pushed herself up. "I'm sorry." She pushed her loose platinum blonde hair out of her face and rested her hand on her head, looking out into the fjord in thought. "To be honest, it was nice to see someone else with magic."

Marie leaned forward to rest on her knees. "But I don't want dark powers! I could have hurt Mattias, or someone else."

"I don't think so," Elsa replied softly. Her bright blue eyes washed over Marie like the water before them. "I was watching your training, and the darkness only turned up when you were fighting, when you had control."

"You saw me fighting?" Marie cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'm not the best at it…"

Elsa squeezed Marie's hand lightly. "You always got back up. That's the real strength."

Marie squeezed a handful of sand as she lifted into Elsa's grip. "You think so?"

"Magic is emotion. As long as you know what you're feeling, you have control." A gust of wind belted into them and caused Marie's hair to blow into her mouth. The woman gagged loudly. Elsa withdrew her hand but let out a chuckle, much to her dismay. "Here, hold still," she scolded. Marie immediately grew still as Elsa's fingers tucked her wind-tossed locks behind her ear. She had a strong jawline, but it was beautifully matched by the rest of her face. Elsa stared for a moment, her eyes running all over Marie's face. Her cheekbones were prominent, her eyebrows long and arched. Her lips were pink and parted to which the royal found her fingers gliding towards.

Both women froze at the sound of whimpering behind them. They turned to see the furred face of a wolf cub staring at them through the brush. Its small body was coated in blood, and as it took a step forward, it became visible that its hind leg was caught in an iron trap. They shot to their feet. "Oh, no!" Marie slowly approached. "You poor baby."

"Marie, wait." Elsa's hand grasped her shoulder firmly. A low rumble echoed behind the cub. The brush parted as a beast pushed through. Marie felt her body become covered with ice as Elsa covered them both in armor. The beast was a wolf, but it was engulfed in darkness. Its growl was enhanced with its size, towering over its cub by several feet. The women had to look up to see the black face of the mother. Its teeth were borne and its eyes glowed a blood red. Darkness hissed around the wolf as it took a step over its cub. The young wolf let out a cry of fright at the sight of its mother, who snarled at them in response before leaping. Elsa's arms flew upward as an ice wall barricaded the shore between them. "Looks like our first battle is here." She surrounded them with ice and turned towards Marie, the ice helmet she wore running along her jaw and cheekbones.

Her armor was a magnificent light blue that curved around her body in a way that made Marie stare. An ultra-thin layer of ice flowed out behind her in the form of a cape, snowflakes decorating its clear surface. Ice that mimicked the shape of iron scales made up the body while the palms of her hands were uncovered but glowing with her magic. Marie looked down and saw that her own body was enveloped in the same armor. It was light, flexible and cool. "Yeah." She looked down at her raised hand and formed a fist. "Any tips?"

Elsa flinched at the wolf pounced onto the ice barrier and scarred the outside with deep, dark claw marks. "What did Mattias tell you to do right before you used your power?"

Marie took a breath in. She emptied her mind. A tingling sensation jolted throughout her body, and she looked down at her right hand. A weightless dark sword with a core of light had formed in her hand. "Cool," she breathed in awe. A wave of darkness ran over her tall body and hovered over the ice armor. Marie's brown hair flowed behind her as she swung the sword to her side, her eyes focused. The darkness flowed over the ice armor in a shield-like manner. Marie looked at her left hand. "Here," she said, reaching towards Elsa. Her forefinger was glowing with darkness. Elsa felt a chill run through her as Marie set her enchanted finger on the mage's forearm. Immediately, the darkness shot around Elsa's ice armor, adding an extra layer on top of her armor.

Elsa looked at herself. "That's amazing," she gasped. Her gaze fell over Marie's light blue and black colored armor. The royal gave her a confident smile. "Ready?"

Marie lowered into a fighting stance. "Yeah." Elsa inhaled deeply and shoved her arms forward. The ice barrier dissembled and pushed the wolf back. Its giant dark body was flung into the nearby forest. The sound of trees snapping roared through the air at a deafening volume. "Get the cub!" Marie shouted. With a single strike, Elsa shot a beam of ice at the iron chain holding the trap to the ground and broke. She leaped and dodge rolled towards the injured animal and scooped it in her arms. Elsa threw an arm into the air and conjured an ice ramp that led directly back to the spot where she had just stood. With a small jump, she moved smoothly onto the ramp and glided back to Marie, casting the other woman a confident smirk as she landed. "So cool!" Marie squeaked. Her eyes snapped back to the possessed wolf as it rose to its feet in the woods with a loud snarl. The darkness pulsed within her. Feel. Don't think. Marie's body emitted a wave of darkness that shot into the air. "My turn." She shot forward and met the wolf halfway on the sandy shore. Her blade collided with its teeth with a thunderous clash. Marie gritted her teeth as she pushed the blade against the wall of fangs. An overwhelming feeling of panic rushed over her, but it was not her own.

_Must…protect…_

Both Elsa and Marie let out a gasp.

The wolf lifted a paw and struck out towards Marie. The young woman let out a cry of pain as she was thrown sideways from the impact. Her body crashed onto the sand and rolled violently to a stop. "Marie!" Elsa yelled. She shot her free hand out at the mother wolf. Ice rushed out of her hand and flew towards the animal. A loud whine filled the air as Elsa pressed its body into the ground, her blue eyes glared in anger.

Marie coughed. "Wait!" She rose and limped over to her friend. "She just wants to protect her cub!" Elsa faltered slightly as Marie set a hand on her raised arm. "I'm alright. See?" Marie grabbed her weightless sword with both hands. "Hold it in place for me, then throw me right at her."

"What?" Elsa froze the wolf to the ground and began to cover its legs with ice. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Marie's voice was unwavering. Elsa smiled slightly before grabbing onto Marie's left hand. An ice ramp formed around them as Elsa swung Marie's body around. Marie's feet landed on the ramp and as she gained speed, Elsa grunted and released her as they swung back around in a complete circle. Marie's body shot through the air straight towards the possessed wolf, her dark blade aimed right for the animal. A roar filled the air as the ethereal blade passed right through its body, stripping it of the darkness. Marie's blade hurled a dark mass out of the wolf and onto the sand. "NOW!" she screamed.

Elsa formed an ice bowl and set the cub down before blasting her way to Marie using her ice. Marie raised her blade into the air and Elsa grabbed the hilt. In an instant, the two lunged forward and swung the now dark ice blade down on the dark mass. It pulsated demonically before erupting and dissipating into the air, leaving no trace of its existence.

The two women held onto the sword together and panted, their bodies slouched. The darkness from Elsa and Marie's armor began to disappear and the blade slowly faded from view. Elsa's hand slipped into Marie's after the hilt left their hands empty. Whimpering sounded behind them, and they turned their breathless faces towards the cub and its mother. The mother was pushing herself off the sand, her tail wagging as the cub tumbled out of the ice bowl and ran towards her. Its hind leg was covered in ice as it hobbled towards its mother. She forced herself to her feet and licked her cub fervently. Marie squeezed Elsa's hand when she caught sight of the cub's wound covered in an ice cast. The wolves turned and looked at the women. No trace of darkness was left in the mother as she and her cub made their way to the forest together.

Elsa's ice armor shattered off their tired bodies and fell to the ground. The royal immediately faced Marie and lifted her shirt. "Wh-what are you doing?!" the brunette stuttered loudly. The blonde eyed the place where the wolf had struck Marie's side. It was bruised but there was no real damage.

Elsa sighed in relief. "The armor blocked most of it." She pulled Marie's shirt back down. "Thank goodness."

"THAT. WAS. EPIC!" They turned to see the townspeople racing towards them with Anna in the lead. Her arms were waving crazily above her. The two women let out a grunt as the queen flung herself onto them and embraced them. "We saw the whole thing! That was amazing!" Anna pulled away and grabbed their free hands excitedly. "It was all like _PEW! SWOOSH! _And that wolf was seriously angry!" She jumped up and down. "But that last move was INCREDIBLE! Like how did you two know what to do?! And when to strike? And where to be? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Oh." Anna paused when she caught sight of Elsa's and Marie's hands still hanging onto each other. The two let go and turned away with red faces.

"Lady Marie!" Meghan ran towards them with Wendy close behind. Marie fell to her knees as the four-year-old ran into her arms. Meghan hugged them before going to Elsa. "Your Majesty! That was awesome!"

"I'm all right, sweetie," Marie cooed, patting the shaking child's back.

"Elsa! You okay?" Kristoff asked as he ran to Anna's side. "Marie, you took quite the nasty hit from that wolf, too. Are you injured?"

"She looked fine!" Olaf's head popped up from behind's Sven's furry neck. They both followed shortly after Kristoff. The snowman plopped to the ground with a giggle. "At least, she looked fine when Elsa lifted up her shirt. I saw all the way from the crowd."

Elsa's face turned beet red. "Olaf!" She clasped her hands in front of her. "I'm sorry. I was just worried…"

"It's okay," Marie said with a chuckle. "At least you didn't lift the whole thing."

Kristoff crossed his arms. "She almost did. Ow!" He held his head as Anna smacked him. His brown eyes grew wide with confusion. "Grand Pabbie?"

The group followed his gaze to see rocks rolling out of the forest. Marie let out an alarmed scream and shielded Wendy as they popped into place before them, feet, arms and faces suddenly forming on them. They were little rock creatures who were alive with moss and reeds for hair. Marie kept shielding Wendy. "You're real, too?!"

One of them approached her. He had necklace with glowing stones them, and his beady eyes stared at her. "You must be the one from the other world," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Kristoff asked, kneeling to greet him.

"Elsa stopped by the other day and said she would be visiting today with the woman from the other world," the rock troll explained. "We grew concerned when they did not show and came when we sensed a dark energy.

Elsa leaned down by Marie's side. "This is Marie. And we just fought off that energy."

Grand Pabbie nodded in a greeting, which moved his whole rock body since he did not have a neck. Marie swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked. "U-um…hello. There are no magical creatures where I'm from, so sorry for earlier…"

"So Elsa said." Grand Pabbie smiled as a sassy rock troll knocked Kristoff off his feet. "Please, tell me everything from the beginning."

Elsa and Marie looked at each other before Elsa began. "We met when we were children." She explained their meeting when they were five. Marie listened as Elsa finished with their recent battle.

Grand Pabbie lifted a stony hand to politely ask, "Did you ever have an encounter with Elsa, Marie?"

The group stared at her. Marie let go of Wendy as she thought. "I thought I was just tired or something. When I saw a movie, er…It's like a moving picture, I think I saw her."

"A picture that moves?" Anna piped up. "It takes over ten minutes for our camera to take one photograph!"

"Although different, our worlds are not so different from each other as one might think." Grand Pabbie looked back at Marie. "You think you saw Elsa?"

Marie looked over at Elsa, who was staring intensely at her with big blue eyes. "I thought it was just someone cosplaying as her, but-…I went to the restroom after the…_event_ was over. Before I closed the stall door, I saw a woman crying on the floor." Marie rubbed her head. "It looked exactly like Elsa, dress, hair and everything. I opened the door to ask what was wrong, but when I did, she was gone. You seemed so…devastated. I just wanted to help."

"How old were you?" Elsa asked softly.

"Twenty-one," Marie replied. Elsa looked away in pure shock.

"That must have been when you thought I died of a frozen heart," Anna said quietly, setting a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"The two of you broke the rules of reality and met when you were never supposed to know that the other existed. You _are_ the manifestation of inequity, and only inequity can fight this new inequity."

Elsa's shoulders dropped. "But I thought I was meant to be the fifth spirit," she said quietly.

"I didn't really have a purpose, but I thought I was meant to help those who had also been abused," Marie added.

"And you both are. That did not change." Grand Pabbie set his stone hand on the women's shoulders. "That is why you were chosen."

"Wait." Anna leaned down and looked at them. "The figure said Marie has strength of human spirit, and Elsa has the power that connects humans and spirits." Her forefingers that were pointed at Elsa and Marie drew closer to each other. "Based on the two fights we all saw, if Marie can understand the darkness's spirit or will, and Elsa can fight it, then…" Her fingers touched. "That's why it's here. You two are the only ones that can fight it."

"Yeah!" Kristoff added. "During the first fight, the darkness was attacking the town, but Marie took it in and Elsa defeated it before it could wreck the town. Then in the second fight, Elsa saved the cub, the reason for the mother's anger, and Marie separated the darkness from the wolf. Then they both defeated it."

"But why was Elsa covered in ice and Marie in darkness?" Olaf asked while Wendy played with his nose. "And then Marie's sword turned to dark ice when they both held it."

Grand Pabbie held his hands out to silence the chipper crowd. "Elsa's magic can destroy this manifestation while Marie's can sense its source."

"What about the light?" Elsa asked. "Will we have to fight the light?"

Grand Pabbie paused to think. "That remains to be seen." He turned to Marie. "You felt the darkness right before it overtook the wolf, correct?"

"I thought it was because I was fighting," Marie stated.

"Luckily Elsa was also present while it manifested. Because there is no magic in your world, Elsa will have to teach you how to use this power. Only then can the two of you effectively fight this imbalance."

"I'll do it," Elsa said confidently. Marie felt her chest flutter with reassurance, but uncertainty filled her once more.

"…Will I ever go back to my world?" Marie asked, barely audible. "Am I even alive there? Whatever brought me here made a deal with us that the other could live if we died, but I didn't die. What does that mean?"

Grand Pabbie breathed in heavily. "I'm afraid that can only be answered if the two of you succeed. If you do not, the world as we know it will fall."

"Thank you, Grand Pabbie." Elsa rose. "We should get everyone back to the town."

"Right." Anna nodded, but before the group could depart, Grand Pabbie spoke.

"Anna, a word if you may." The queen walked a few feet away with the rock troll. Elsa watched as his voice grew quiet. Her sister listened, and as a breeze ran over the beach, Anna visibly conveyed shock on her face before turning to look at Elsa and Marie. The two women stood next to each other.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" Marie asked.

Elsa took in a breath. "I'm not sure." Anna's mouth moved, but Elsa could not make out the words. "But I don't think we're supposed to know."

"Lady Marie?" Elsa turned around to see Meghan standing behind them, her red hair igniting in the evening sun. Her hands were clasped behind her back. "These were blown away yesterday. I thought you might like them back."

Marie cast a glance at Elsa before saying, "Oh yeah! Thanks!" Elsa raised an eyebrow and smiled as Marie and Meghan turned their backs to her. "Um…how should I hide them?"

"Put them under your shirt!" Meghan whispered loudly, lifting the foreigner's clothing.

"I'll turn around," Elsa called. Was one of them for her? _Why would she give me a flower? _Her hands clasped together. _Not that I would mind._ Their encounter from the night before suddenly ran across her mind. Ice began to form within her hands in response and Elsa shook her head vehemently.

"Thanks for stopping by!" Anna's voice called out. Elsa saw her sister wave to the rock trolls, and as everyone said their goodbyes, Anna draped an arm over Marie's shoulder. "Didn't you say that you were going to bake us something?"

Marie's hand hovered over her chest to shield the hidden flowers. "Yeah. Still wanna help?"

"You know it!" They walked towards the castle. Elsa followed as Kristoff joined her side.

"It's unlike any other feeling, isn't it?"

Elsa looked at him with wide blue eyes. "What is?"

Kristoff only smiled and shook his head. "You can't play coy forever." He ran ahead to join his fiancée.

She slowed and looked down at her hand, the same one that had held Marie's. "Yes, I can," she breathed.


	7. Chapter 6

**This chapter deals with adult themes of alcohol and mental illness. May not be suitable for younger audiences.*

An aroma slithered into the air. It was sweet and succulent, making the mouth water upon breathing in the scent. In its prime state of ripeness, the yellow fruit teased anyone to bite into its flesh. A wooden spoon violently smashed it to pieces. Anna watched in concern and sipped her red wine as Marie continued to mash bananas. "What did they ever do to you?" the queen asked behind her wine glass.

"They aren't in my stomach as banana bread yet, that's what they did!" Marie paused to blow a strand of brown hair out of her own face. "I mean, did you understand _any_ of what Grand Pabbie said?!"

"Not really." Anna was sitting on the marble counter and kicked her stocking feet aimlessly. She polished off her glass and hopped to the floor. "But I believe in my sister, and she believes in you, so I'm not worried." She stared down at the bowl of ingredients in front of Marie. They were in the castle kitchen. Rows of stainless-steel utensils lined the walls and marble countertops shone proudly in the light of the various lit torches around the room. Marie had insisted on baking as a distraction, and Anna had pulled out some expensive wine to add to the event. Anna eyed Marie. "You, on the other hand, I am a little concerned about."

Marie attempted to push a loose strand of hair under the blue bandana wrapped around her crown. "Girl, I'm concerned with myself every day." Anna snorted before both women laughed loudly. Marie gestured for Anna to crack the eggs. "Where is Elsa, anyway?"

"She's taking a bath." With rosy cheeks from the wine, Anna gave Marie a coy look and raised her eyebrows. Marie rolled her eyes but smiled, mashing the bananas even more. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you like women?"

Marie paused, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Hm…Well, my first love was actually my best friend, but I've only ever been with men." A soft chuckle escaped her. "But you wanna know something? I didn't fall in love with my friend for her looks. I fell in love with _her._ Does that make sense?" Marie flinched when Anna began to sniffle. "Why are you crying?!"

"That's so beautiful!" Anna wiped a tear away dramatically. "Can I use that in my wedding vows? "I fell in love not with your looks, but with _you_."" She mimicked writing it down in the air. "So what happened? Did something keep you apart?"

Marie grew still. "Religion did." Anna let out a sympathetic gasp. "We were young and stupid, thinking God would hate us for having these feelings we couldn't control. But we let it destroy our friendship. But I'm not bitter. It led me down the path I had to take to become better. I'm still on that path, too. It's hard, but necessary." Marie lifted her head back in exasperation. "There I go again, spilling my guts out of nowhere…"

"No wonder you and Elsa get along so well. You're both so _deep_." The sound of liquid sloshing against glass met Marie's ear, and Anna offered her a glass. "I should go check on her. She's been in there a while with that other bottle." Anna hummed while leaving the kitchen, her demeanor light and peppy.

Marie smiled and continued prepping the bread. She sipped the dark wine, immediately tasting the richness and age. "Damn," she muttered. Due to a combination of exhaustion and hunger, the wine only took a couple minutes to kick in. The woman set the bread pan filled with batter into a fire-lit oven. _"You call me your banana…" _Marie finished her glass and grabbed the wooden spoon, dramatically using it as a pretend microphone. _"I don't care what they say. I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing."_ Her first soprano voice echoed around the kitchen. She pointed at the oven and pointed. "_You call me your banana! I keeeep bleedin', I keep, keep bleedin' love!" _She finished the chorus and ended with the famous riff, her voice rising in the air in a pleasant tone.

Another voice mimicked her perfectly, its sound soaking into every corner with melodious beauty. Marie jumped in surprise and nearly dropped her newly filled glass. Elsa was leaning in the doorway, her body dressed in a light blue evening gown. A rosy tint covered her cheeks as she held a half-full bottle of the same red wine in her hand. She closed her eyes and giggled at Marie's reaction before sauntering towards her. Marie leaned back on the counter and set a hand on her chest, repeating the riff. Elsa mimicked her. She had such a crisp, mature, yet gentle voice. Marie sang it slower, and Elsa imitated, waving her finger in the air with every note. They snorted and began giggling. "Are those really the words?"

"No. She says, "You cut me open and I," but it sounds like she is saying "you call me your banana." That's why I sang it at the bread."

Elsa ran a pale hand through her nearly white hair. "Those are quite the lyrics. Are all songs like that where you're from?"

"I wish!" Marie smiled widely at the thought. "Most are just meant to dance to with a strong beat." A frown covered the brunette's face when her glass became empty. Elsa lifted it from her fingers and refilled it while humming a line from the song the two had sung. Marie leaned against the counter. "Idina Menzel, eat your heart out," she murmured.

"There you are!" Anna's voice echoed around the kitchen as she tripped into the doorway and let out a yelp. "Oops! Hehe…How do you always slip by me like that?"

"Ice is slippery." Kristoff appeared behind her. Marie gasped loudly when she saw that he had a bottle of Scotch in his hand. He eyed it before asking, "Er, do you want some?"

"Yeah!" Marie's cheeks flushed as the two royal sisters laughed at her outburst.

"So then, Elsa comes riding up on The Nokk, going down the tidal wave while the music in the background is also descending while the people of Arendelle are up on the cliff just gasping and staring, and the horse somehow outruns the wave and, and-!..." A couple of hours had passed, and Anna, Kristoff, Elsa and Marie were in the dining room enjoying each other's company. Marie was now standing near a fireplace reenacting the Frozen movies upon request. The foreigner pointed at Elsa in drunken excitement, her eyes wide. "You got in front of the castle and _BOOM!_" Her long arms flung upward. "You made this HUGE ice wall that stopped the wave! Like, taller than the castle!"

Anna let out a laugh of disbelief as her sister and her exchanged glances. "Hahaha, I wish! Part of the castle got destroyed." Both Elsa and Kristoff shushed her in frustration.

"Then the forest cleared and-…" As Marie finished the tale, Elsa clung to her wine glass. For being so emotionally reserved, Marie was quite the storyteller and actress. It was obvious that the stories that Elsa had read growing up were accurate to a degree; Marie was depicted as a determined youth who was always well spoken and sure of her words. Elsa's forefinger ran along the glass as she smiled. It was nice to see one of her childhood role models turn out to be genuine.

Marie finished and bowed dramatically with a huge, charismatic smile. Kristoff stood and clapped loudly, warranting a scowl from his fiancée. "What?"

"Things were a lot darker than that," Anna said.

"They were meant for children and families, so there's only so much they could fit in there," Marie explained. Her dismissal of Anna's comment being critical towards her performance only showed that Marie had experience speaking in front of a crowd. "Plus, you should have seen how they drew you guys. Your eyeballs were like," she made circles with her fingers and put them up to her own skull, "THIS BIG!" Anna's face distorted in disgust before she erupted in laughter. Marie sat down and helped herself to more Scotch and banana bread which was nearly gone. Marie paused as she began cutting into the bread. "Oh. Last piece."

"Elsa wants it!" Anna blurted. Elsa flinched in surprise but blushed. "She's had half the pan." Kristoff leaned over and whispered something in Anna's ear, to which they both giggled. Elsa crossed her arms and looked away.

"Here." Marie set the last piece down on the small plate in front of the ice mage. Elsa looked up at her. She cast her a small smile before settling down in the chair to Elsa's right, sitting backwards and leaning against the table. Anna and Kristoff continued giggling, to which Elsa tapped her finger impatiently. Marie took a sip of her Scotch before commenting, "Good Lord…Will you two be able to last another month?" Elsa nearly spit out her wine.

"Last?" Anna repeated.

"C'mon, Anna. You're cranky. Let's go to bed." Kristoff ushered the Queen to her feet and began leading her out the door. "Goodnight, you two!"

"I take it that's a no?" Marie muttered. Elsa put a hand over her mouth while she chuckled.

"You know what?" Anna bristled up like a cat and attempted to make her way towards the two women. Elsa waved her hand lazily in the air, conjuring ice at her sister's feet and forcing her to turn around. Kristoff quickly guided her out as Marie and Elsa erupted into laughter.

Elsa leaned her head against the back of the dining room chairs and chuckled, her head swarming. "I shouldn't give her such a hard time."

"You're her sister. That's what you're for." Marie stretched and cupped her head in her hands. "The alcohol is better in this world…"

Elsa tapped her glass again. "Do you think it's a separate dimension, or in the past?" When Marie looked at her thoughtfully, Elsa continued, "Based on the stories you've told, I've noticed a lot of similarities between our worlds. But I'm not sure if they are at different times, different places, or both."

"Hm…" The other woman shifted her body, so her shoulders supported her weight against the table. "Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if this is all real or not. Everything in my world is so researched and nit-picked that it's hard to even leave anything to the imagination. Having blind trust is impossible."

A knot formed in Elsa's chest. "Why would you question whether something like this is real?" Marie frowned and looked away in response to her tone of voice. "I thought we talked about this. How could you still think that none of this is real after everything that's happened so far?"

"Because I already don't know what's real because my mind relives these horrible things and no matter how hard I try, it keeps going! I don't know what to do because I already feel insane!" Marie covered her face. "Sorry…I didn't mean to snap. I'm just upset." She turned herself to sit normally in the chair. "This may sound strange, but I haven't had my medications since coming here. Sounds stupid, I know…I should be able to manage my anxiety and PTSD on my own, but…I'm not there yet. I don't know how else to put it. I'm just not there yet."

"I understand," Elsa said quietly. "You've been torn from your family and friends. I can't imagine what you're going through."

"Yeah," breathed Marie. Her voice was scratchy and sickly sounding from her trying to hold back her tears. "It's just, uh…difficult. Everything is right now."

Elsa listened. She did not know whether to reach out a hand to comfort Marie or continue to sit in silence. Marie kept her gaze on the table, something Elsa knew too well as a sign that her uncertainty was normal to Marie. She rose. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Marie opened her mouth in protest, but Elsa held out her hand with quiet confidence. She set her hand in the fifth spirit's while her heart skipped and her worries seemingly vanished. _What in the world?_ She thought to herself. _How can she easily make me forget something that I've been holding in for years? _Elsa led her out of the dining room and up the stairs, occasionally casting Marie a glance with her intense blue eyes. Marie bit her lip but eventually blurted out, "You know, for someone who hasn't been with anyone, you sure are sexually confident."

Elsa raised an eyebrow as the two approached the top of the stairway. "I never said I haven't."

Marie gasped loudly. "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Elsa hushed her with a laugh. "I never said I have, either!" She stopped and let go of Marie's hand. "And you shouldn't say things like that."

A wave of heat overcame Marie in embarrassment. "Oh. I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry it came out like that. I'm sorry!" Elsa noticed that Marie always had strong eye contact when apologizing, but not when she talked about herself. Something inside of Elsa longed to break her of that habit. The former queen squeezed her hands together when Marie looked at her with sad, nervous eyes and a timid demeanor. The confident, unwavering actress was now groveling. Elsa turned around took in a deep breath when her head began to spin. "How do you do that?" Elsa looked at her in confusion. Marie looked at the floor. "How do you set boundaries like that so easily?"

"You have to when you are queen. Plenty of men and even women think they can overpower me because I am a woman, even if I have my powers. Being a female leader is difficult that way. It doesn't happen all the time but has more often that I'd like to admit. I guess being alone all those years made me think about those things as well."

Marie breathed out heavily. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It made me stronger." Elsa motioned with her head towards the top of the stairs. "Come on." She grabbed Marie's hand as the other woman hesitated, which only enticed the royal. Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat before saying, "I have to act the way you said I am as a leader. If I don't, people can tell. And they are always curious if there is even a hint of uncertainty." Marie was not sure if she understood what the younger but wiser woman was saying to her. "Curious people either grow bored…" She opened the door to her bedroom. "Or they grow excited." As Elsa shut the door, she blocked Marie from advancing farther into the room.

Marie found herself backed into the door. Her eyes narrowed as Elsa stared into her with confident yet peaceful eyes. "What are you doing?"

Elsa stood a couple of inches away. "We don't have a lot of time to train you, Marie. You have the same problem I did with my magic: you won't allow yourself to love or forgive yourself." It felt as though Elsa had conjured an icicle and stabbed Marie in the middle of the chest. The royal took in a shaky breath before setting both her hands on either side of Marie's head on the door. "I was trained to be strong. To be in power, I had to be taught to have power over myself when someone else wanted to destroy me. Not every country or kingdom could know that I had powers, so I had to continue to hide them. I had to be strong _without_ my powers. Now I'm trying to show you the same."

Marie's mind began to sharpen her senses, but her sense was not interpreting the situation for what it was. She stared at Elsa with unwavering, angry eyes. "Stop. I don't want to hurt you."

Elsa leaned forward. "It's not about hurting me. It's about protecting yourself! How do you expect to protect others when you can't even protect yourself?"

"Why do I have to be violent to protect myself?" Marie yelled. Her body was pulsing with adrenaline, but her mind was struggling to grasp the present reality. Her hands formed into fists. "I don't want to do that to anyone else!"

Elsa's fingers pressed into the doorway. "What about you?"

Mousy brown hair fell in front of Marie's face as she gritted her teeth in extreme effort. "…I don't want this."

"Say it so I can hear it."

"I don't WANT this, so back up!" Marie suddenly pushed herself off the door and took a defiant step forward. Elsa back up as the other woman stood her ground with unwavering eyes. They stood face-to-face and stared each other in the eyes as silence hung in the air.

"Good." Elsa relaxed and smiled slightly. "That was a good start. Well done." Marie shook before her and stared at the floor, her eyes dilated like a cornered animal. Elsa set her hands on her forearms. "I know you're afraid, but you can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know," Marie breathed. "That's why I'm afraid."

It felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck Elsa in the chest. She released Marie's arms and folded her hands in front of her. "What do you mean?"

"I-…" Marie looked away. Elsa backed up a step. "…I just don't want to do that to anyone else. Please don't make me. Please…" Marie began to repeat the word over and over again. Elsa hesitated before reaching a finger towards her face. A tear had fallen down Marie's cheek, and as Elsa caught it on her fingertip, they looked at each other.

"May I?" she asked quietly. Marie nodded. Elsa turned away and concentrated. "Water has memory…" The tear lifted into the air and soon reflected a moving image in the shape of a sphere before her. Elsa sucked in a breath when the image showed the point of view of Marie. She was standing in what appeared to be a small kitchen. A young man stood angrily in front of her. He was taller than Marie with built shoulders and rounded arms. Suddenly the man rushed towards her. Elsa gasped as Marie's vision warped and changed to the image of a much larger man that towered over the woman.

"NO! DON'T!" Memory Marie screamed. Elsa flinched and closed her eyes as the man overwhelmed Marie. A singular, deafening sound filled the room. Marie's vision focused on the young man, who was now holding his cheek in shock. Marie held up her hand.

"You just slapped me," he stated in shock.

Elsa put a hand over her chest as Marie started to shake. "I didn't mean to…I didn't see you. I saw my father! I didn't see you!" The sphere changed to show another man above Marie, pinning her to a couch below her. Marie's memory looked over at a nearby table and noticed a knife. Suddenly a black mist covered the sphere. Elsa looked up to see the real Marie cover the sphere. Her hand fell into the one Elsa held the sphere with. Her eyes were now focused but gentle. There was a flare of calamity that had ignited within her before, but now that fire was strength. Elsa could only stare at her friend. That angry fire had turned to compassion and sympathy.

"It happened. It all happened." Elsa shook her head. "In your story, _Within_, you died saving some children from suffering a similar fate, but you didn't have to die. You could have killed him. You could have killed him, and you didn't. You knew you would regret it and would truly leave those children behind. But you actually could have killed him. You could have."

Soundlessly, Marie embraced Elsa. The blonde tensed. "You're still right. I need to love and forgive myself. I haven't yet. But…being here is-…" Marie hugged her tighter. "Thank you." Elsa nestled her face in the crook of Marie's long neck and let her arms wrap around her long, beautiful frame. There had been moments that Marie had been vulnerable with Elsa, but this time, she was choosing to be. A warm pride swelled within the blonde's chest that spread throughout her body.

_"You can't play coy forever._" Kristoff's words rang throughout her head, and she closed her eyes.

"Oh, yeah!" Marie pulled away. "What did you want to show me?"

"Oh." The blonde turned away and brushed a strand of her long white hair behind her ear. "It can wait. I have a better idea for now." Marie's mouth fell open when Elsa threw her balcony doors open and outstretched her arms. "What was that song you said I sang while doing this?"

"YES!" Elsa covered her mouth to stifle her laughter as Marie jumped into the air like a child. "I was HOPING to reenact some of those scenes! Okay, okay!" She pranced over to Elsa and took in a deep breath. "You gotta shut the doors and reopen them while singing, like this." Marie ushered Elsa back into her bedroom and quickly shut the door. "Right when you hit the "O" in "Unknown." Ready? Think of how much it irritated you and that should do it."

Elsa chuckled but grabbed the handles of the balcony doors. "It _did_ keep me awake." Taking in a deep breath, the royal burst out in song and out the doors, her arms poised perfectly in the air before she leaned on the stone balcony and launched her voice high into the night sky. It danced through the darkness and over the sea like a siren's call. Elsa let the wind tickle her face before clasping her hands together and turning to face Marie. The other woman stood in the doorway, her blue eyes fixated on the former queen in a way that made Elsa lose her breath. As the wind lightly tossed both of their hair, Marie grew painfully aware of the silence between them, but she did not care. No words were making their way to her lips, and she found her eyes drifting down to gaze at Elsa's own lips.

A pitchy holler sounded from the town below. Elsa snickered as Marie grew alarmed. "That would be Bernard, our town drunk." Elsa leaned over the balcony and cupped her hand over her mouth. "Goodnight, Bernie!" A joyous yet drunken call answered her. She chuckled once more before waving her hand in the air. Magic flowed from her fingers and formed a large ice slide that led down to the fjord. Frozen steps cascaded down the balcony onto the stone floor. Elsa eagerly climbed them and held out a hand to Marie, nodding towards the sea. Before she could process what was happening, Marie ran and launched herself into the air. The foreigner landed on the ice slide and soon disappeared, her laughter following her like a bubbly toddler. The mage shook her head and leaped onto the ramp.

Marie threw her arms back, darkness sprouting from her palms and launching her body forward. Ice had formed on the smooth surface of the sea, and as Marie's feet lightly touched the freshly frozen water, Elsa shot past her. She gave the new mage a wink and slid to a halt a hundred feet away with perfect poise and form. Marie attempted to slow herself, but to no avail. Elsa gasped and threw a snow hill between them, only for Marie to crash through it and barrel into her. The two women crashed into the ice and slid several feet before coming to a stop. Marie coughed and shook her head to free it of snow. "You okay?" Elsa's blonde hair fanned out in the snow below her. She opened one of her eyes and peered at Marie while catching her breath. The brunette flicked a chunk of snow off Elsa's cheek. "I don't know how to break yet."

Elsa pushed herself up and hid her red face. "I'm fine. What about you?"

Marie sat and dropped her shoulders. "I didn't realize how much energy magic uses."

As the fishing boats clanked together softly in the docks, the two rested in the snow. "It takes practice," Elsa stated. "But you learn quickly, so I'm not worried." Her eyes darted over to Marie when she did not answer. She was leaning with her eyes closed and her head tilted back. The royal smiled softly at the peaceful expression that covered the foreigner's accentuated face. "We should go inside before you catch cold." The other nodded and they rose. Once they reached the castle doors, Marie turned to her.

"Hey. Can I read that book?" she asked as she held the door open.

Elsa passed through with a nod of gratitude. "If I get to read it to you." Marie flushed in embarrassment. They made their way up the stairs, the nearby guards exchanged confused glances as the women passed. "I want to return the favor for your performance earlier."

Marie followed and smiled to herself_._ "Okay, Your Majesty."

Elsa grew hot and nearly missed grabbing the doorknob of her bedroom door. "Wh-what?"

"Nothing! Nothing." Marie glided inside the room and stretched. "Mattias sure kicked my ass during training." A crash sounded behind her. "You okay back there?"

"Yes! I'm fine. Just tired." Elsa ran into her bookcase once again as she began her search for the book.

"Too much wine?" Marie called behind her, settling down on the balcony floor and staring out into the sea.

The royal felt her flushed face. "Maybe." As she made her way towards Marie, she gripped the book tightly. _Don't say it_, she thought to herself. "You know, you can be more formal with me, if you'd like." She covered her face in embarrassment. When silence answered her, she peeked nervously out from behind her fingers. Marie was drifting in and out of sleep. "C'mon, silly." Elsa set the book down and lifted her up. "You'll catch a cold for sure if you sleep there."

Marie groaned as Elsa laid her down. "Mattias really did kick my ass."

Elsa covered her with a white blanket that was folded on the bed stand at the end of the bed. "Goodnight." Marie grew still. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, Elsa found her eyes resting on Marie's face. The face that had been full of fear and anger was now peaceful and almost childlike. Elsa brushed a strand of mousy brown hair that fell over her mixed European features. The day's events ran through her mind. Hopefully she would be able to read _Within_ to Marie the following day. Her blue gaze moved to the book, and she stopped.

A white rose lay on top of a small piece of parchment, both having gone unnoticed by Elsa until now. Elsa lifted it and read, "_Your virtue is admired by the young and coveted by your peers. Ignore those that say otherwise, for they have forgotten what it's like."_

She held the flower to her lips and closed her eyes. "You're not making this easier," she breathed. Outside of the window, in the darkness, the wind blew ever so softly. As the air current danced through the night, it began to avoid a small space void of any object. The small pocket ripped the breeze in two, its ethereal presence absorbing the air around it. As soon as it had appeared, the rift vanished. Marie shot up in bed, her eyes staring at the spot outside where it had just dissipated.

"Something wrong?" Elsa asked in concern.

Marie drifted down when nothing stirred. "No…Sorry. Must have just been a dream."


	8. Chapter 7

She was softer than Marie expected. The young woman found her hands trembling at the thought. Mattias rubbed his eyes and eyed her. "You alright?"

Marie jumped. "Y-yeah! Sorry." She and Mattias were in the library, the morning sun casting rays upon the piles of books through the lightly dusty area. "I think I found something else. Right here." The dark-skinned man rose from his wooden chair and leaned over the table to peer at the book in her hands. "It's another name. In my world, the man who "discovered" North America was named Christopher Columbus. This book says his name is Christopher Columebus." She withdrew it. "I kind of like that better, actually…"

"Morning!" They looked up to see a cheery redhead prancing towards them, her arm waving in the air. "Want some pancakes? Kristoff got carried away with them again."

"Good morning, Your Highness." Mattias bowed. "There is nothing of concern to report from last night's patrols or this morning. There was a sighting of an ice slide coming down from one of the castle balconies in the middle of the night again, however. Also, the position you asked about is open and good to go." Anna crossed her arms when Marie let out a nervous chuckle.

"Did she at least thaw the fjord this time?" The queen asked. Marie nodded. The ginger looked around before asking, "Where is Elsa?"

"Sleeping," Marie said. The general and royal grew silent. The young woman blew out air from her mouth. "We've been doing some research that I think you should hear about!"

"Yes!" The General responded quickly, noticing Marie's change of topics. "I think that as well!" Anna raised her eyebrow but settled half her bottom on the table, adjusting her simple grey dress. "Lady Marie has been in the library since four this morning. I found her at six and have been helping her research for the past three hours. We've taken breaks to work on her combat skills like you requested."

"Since four?" Anna asked. "Why so early?"

Marie bit her lip as she carefully plucked a book from a small pile in front of her. "Couldn't sleep. So I started in a general history book," she stated, turning the thick brown book towards Anna. "In the movies, _Frozen_ was set around 1840, and my world was in the year 2020, so I thought that I had simply jumped back in time. But when I started looking in here, I noticed that there are little differences between our worlds that are too common to be grammar mistakes. For one, Britain's most famous author is named Willam Shakespeare in this world, but I've always known him as _William_ Shakespeare. Here!" Anna jumped as Marie dropped another book on top of the history book. She flicked it open to a page that was being kept by another book. Anna noticed that most books on the table were sandwiched in this manner. "George Washington damaged an apple tree, not a cherry tree." She side-stepped and opened a yellow book. "Hans Christian Anderson, the man who wrote the book that the _Frozen_ movies are based off doesn't exist." A blue book was thrown open. "Dinosaurs have already been documented versus just starting to be discovered." Another brown history book. "Mona Lisa's name was Delilah when we don't even know her name, Chris Columbus has a different name, some of the United States' battles have slightly different dates, and this is the biggest one." Marie placed a Christian bible in front of Anna. "Thomas wasn't depicted as such an asshole for doubting Jesus, it rained for forty one days during Noah's ark, and this version of the bible is just way more literal in its translation than any that I've ever known!"

Anna shut her mouth that was hanging open. "Wait, what?"

"It's a different dimension, Your Highness," Mattias said.

"Exactly!" Marie's eyes were tired but excited. "Things have happened the same in history, but with the smallest differences that don't really seem to affect history. I tried looking up some repercussions of some of the things that were different, but nothing seemed to change. Maybe because this world is technically in the past compared to mine, but with these differences, it's not the same place. Also, try to avoid the United States for the next thirty years because we're about to go into a civil war that'll make us look like giant assholes for the rest of eternity."

Anna gave Mattias a wide-eyed look. "Uh, I'll have to remember that."

"If I'm not in the past, and I really am in a different dimension, I wonder what that means for me?" Marie turned and leaned against the table, her blue eyes staring out the window. "Do I still exist in my world? Are our worlds existing at the same time next to each other or has one already happened? Since it's not the past, can I go back?" Anna folded her hands and stared at the wooden floor, a lump growing in her throat. "I wish I knew so I'd…Well, so I'd know. If that makes sense."

Anna began turning towards the other woman to respond, but a trail of platinum passing by swiftly in the hall caught her eye. She paused and saw a familiar dark pink dress run across the floor in a hurry. "I'll be right back." Anna calmly rushed to the library door. Sure enough, her sister dove into the kitchen storage room as soon as she rounded the corner. "What are you doing?" Anna hissed, catching her by the arm. "If you're trying to sneak around, it's not working so well! I could see you!"

Elsa acknowledged her sister before turning away. Anna felt her chest flutter with a rush of excitement when she saw that her sibling's cheeks were flushed, and her body language was sheepish. "Oh. Y-you did?"

"Elsa, what's going on? I haven't seen you like this since Honeymaron tried-…" A loud gasp escaped Anna. "DID SOMETHING HAPPEN WITH MARIE?!"

The ice queen covered her sister's mouth with her pale hands. "Shh! Don't be so loud, Anna! Nothing happened, okay? I just-…" When Anna began giggling behind her fingers, Elsa sighed and dropped her hands to her sides in defeat. "Do you promise not to make it a big deal?"

"Yes! I mean, yes. I mean no! I mean-! I promise."

Elsa hugged her forearms in a way that made Anna's grow wide. She dropped her hands once more. She said quickly, "I kinda had a nightmare last night and Marie held me while we slept." Anna began nodding slowly, but as she sped up in pure excitement, Elsa stopped her. "It wasn't like that! I mean, I don't _think_ it was like that. I-…" Elsa was flustered. "I saw one of her memories and I had a nightmare about it. I woke to her telling me how it was okay and that I was safe, and she held me in her arms the rest of the night. Well, until she woke up. But I didn't stop her."

Strands of Anna's red hair fell in front of her as she leaned forward. "But you don't seem to mind."

Elsa felt her chest tighten and she clasped her hands tightly in front of her. "I don't mind at all. And that's the problem." Her dark pink dress ruffled as she whipped around. Anna frowned. "I know that's not how she meant it, but I couldn't help but feel…" She touched the palms of her hands together, her fingertips drifting slowly over her other palm before slipping her fingers together. "It's hard to explain."

Anna gave her sister a brief hug. "You can always ask her."

"Ask?!" Her blonde hair whipped Anna in the face as she turned around. "But we haven't known each for that long!"

"Hey, I am the perfect example of how not knowing someone for that long can still work out for the good!" Anna furrowed her brow. "Yet again, I'm _also_ the perfect example of how it can go terribly wrong. But you're different, Elsa! This isn't like you, but that's not a bad thing! What can hurt from asking her? If you can stop the dam from destroying our kingdom, you can ask your childhood idol if what she did meant more to her."

Elsa rolled her eyes but hugged her. "You always knew how to put things into words," she said quietly.

"You'll still always have me, marriage, sperate kingdoms or not." Anna pulled away. "You should probably come to the library and hear what Marie and Mattias found."

"I heard everything from the hallway," Elsa said nervously.

Anna patted her on the shoulder. "Then pretend you didn't hear anything and listen to them anyway! And then come have some pancakes." As she pulled her sister out of the dark storage room, Elsa stopped. Anna glanced at her.

"What did Pabbie say to you?"

The new queen faced her sister and grabbed her hands. "Do you trust me?"

Elsa tipped her head. "Of course, I do."

Anna touched her forehead to Elsa's. "Then trust me with this."

The older sibling relaxed into her. "Okay." Anna withdrew and gestured for Elsa to exit before her. As her sister departed with a confident stride, Anna lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Mother, Father, please tell me I did the right thing," she breathed.

"Thanks for breakfast." Marie lightly pushed her plate aside and set her elbows on the kitchen counter. Creamy brown fur followed the dinnerware eagerly, and she scratched behind Sven's ear as he licked her plate.

A male tenor's giggle sounded to her left. Olaf clapped his whipped cream covered wooden hands together. "My pancake's face is done. Finally!"

Kristoff chuckled and took Marie's plate. "Did Anna talk to you yet? She said she had something to show you."

Marie shook her head. "No. Do you know what it is?"

He snatched the syrup bottle from his reindeer when Sven's tongue reached for it over Marie. "Manners, Sven!" The reindeer bayed in protest. Kristoff sighed. "I don't want to spoil the surprise like someone is spoiling their appetite. Speaking of appetites, those two sure didn't eat much. You didn't eat much, either."

Marie blew the steam away from her tea before sipping. "If I ate anymore, I'd fall asleep at the table." She lowered her mug with a furrowed brow. Once Elsa and Anna had returned to the library, Marie and Mattias filled in the former queen about their discoveries. Elsa had listened intently, but even more intense had been her gaze. It did not leave Marie once. The brunette groaned childishly and dropped her head on the marble countertop. "I'm such an idiot."

Sven nudged Marie in concern. Kristoff set down the clean plates in his hands. "Whoa, you okay?"

Olaf stole her tea and blew the hot air away. "I'm guessing it's one of the following options; one: she's dealing with the newfound responsibilities of having magical powers and the weight of saving a world that isn't her own, two: something happened between her and Elsa to solidify the rising romantic tension between them, or three: she thought the pancakes were awful."

A spoon slipped out of Sven's mouth and fell to the floor with a loud clatter as silence rang around the room. Marie shoved herself away from the counter as she stood. "Pancakes. Definitely." She cast Kristoff a reassuring look to which he nodded. "I should go talk to her," she said quietly as she made her way across the kitchen. A body slammed into her in the doorway. Marie jumped backward.

"My apologies!" a young maid with olive skin stammered. She held out a white envelope. "For you, Lady Marie."

"Oh. Uh, thank you." Marie grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. A peach rose pedal fell to the floor as she pulled out a note with a single word on it that read, "_Chapel._" She turned to Kristoff. "I think Anna wants to see me."

Olaf let out a giggle. "So that's _two_ sisters now."

Kristoff shot the snowman a glare while Marie rolled her eyes. "Stop," she scorned with a playful tone. "I would never. Plus, I don't even-…Never mind." She whisked herself out of the room.

"My pancakes aren't _that_ bad!" she heard Kristoff grumble behind her. Anna had drawn a rough sketch of the castle halls with arrows pointing to where the chapel was located. After five minutes of taking wrong turns and asking for directions, the foreigner finally pushed open the giant dark doors. She could not help but stop in pure wonder. The chapel was even bigger and grander than the first movie had depicted. It was large enough to fit the entire kingdom in its pews that lined the length of the neighboring courtyard. A second story loomed over her and sunlight blazed through the glass windows that ran along the walls. Stained images of Christ and the disciples covered the glass. It smelled of leather books, old furniture and dust. A delicate figure dressed in dark pink sat in the front pew to the right. Elsa turned her head to look at Marie, her loose blonde hair falling behind the pew. They gazed at each other for a moment before simultaneously holding up their respective notes.

Elsa let out a chuckle. "Typical Anna."

A wave of tension hit Marie square in the chest. "I can leave," she said quickly, backing toward the door.

"No," Elsa retorted and stood. "I don't want you to leave." Marie opened her mouth, but the former queen took a step forward. "I know what you're going to say. You're going to apologize for holding me last night, but I don't want you to." The brunette's breath caught in her throat. She had turned away any chance of intimacy with another person for the last several years of her life. Although painful, it was not any more difficult than ripping off a bandage. But in front of her stood the living version of a person that had captivated her as a young woman. Elsa clasped her hands in front of her and nervously took a few more steps toward Marie. "Please say something."

"It was of my memory," she said softly. Elsa stopped. Marie stared at the floor. "There was a cold flurry above your head, and you looked like you were going to wake up from it. It was awful. I don't want you to go through something like that ever again because of me." She looked the royal in the eyes. "I'm not sorry for what I did, but I am sorry for causing you pain."

Elsa leaned against the edge of the front pew and looked up at a stained glass of Mary and a lamb. "My mother used to come in here all the time. I used to watch her from the back while she prayed." She crossed her forearms and gripped them tightly. "She knew I was there, but she never said anything. I could have gotten in so much trouble for sneaking out. Leaving everything and everyone she had known must have been hard, but she still allowed herself to find happiness here." Elsa tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You didn't cause me pain, Marie. I chose to see your memories on my own. But, thank you, for comforting me." Elsa felt a flicker of fire ignite in her chest as Marie leaned against the same pew as her and joined in gazing at the stained glass. The blonde swallowed a lump in her throat. "I'd like to return the favor someday."

Marie looked at her before gazing at the glass once more. "You have. More than you know."

The ice mage's hands were turning white from squeezing them so hard. "D-did you manage to warm up? You mentioned it was cold."

"Oh, yes!" Marie let out a chuckle and looked at her. "You're actually quite warm." They froze when only a couple inches separated their faces. Elsa's lips began to part on their own as she stared into Marie's eyes. Light brown circled her pupils and spread out into bright blue flames. Her eyes were so expressive, honest and once again, vulnerable. It was a rare expression that she had only seen when the two were alone. It enticed Elsa as much the siren's call. She wanted to keep it there in her eyes, but she could not rush it.

"Would you like to get some ice cream?" Elsa asked, pushing herself up from the pew. "Oaken made a new flavor that I want to try."

The woman before her seemed to visibly relax. "Does he really say "Woohoo?""

Elsa walked past her but let out a chuckle. "All the time."

Marie joined her and yawned loudly. "Oofda, I'm tired!"

"You'll have time to catch a nap on the way to The Enchanted Forest. I plan on going there after we're done." Elsa cast a sideways glance at her. "I meant to bring it up earlier. We should stick together with everything going on."

A gasp escaped Marie's mouth. "Really?! That's so cool!" She stretched her arm above her head. "Tell me everything I need to know before going there!"

Elsa smiled and shook her head warmly. "Well, for one, we'll need to pack lots of dry clothes." She let out a sigh. "It's rainy season up there."

Marie put her hands behind her head. "_The rain always bothered me, anyway,_" she sang in the famous melody. Now aware of the reference, Elsa elbowed her. Marie jumped in surprise but laughed, running forward.

The summer sun beat down on the land of Arendelle, but the breeze still had a slight chill to it. Anna shivered and tugged her mother's shawl tighter around her shoulders. She was standing on a balcony of the castle, her ocean colored eyes peering over her kingdom. She had caught sight of Marie and Elsa a few times and had desperately tried to resist the urge to spy on them, but to no avail. Shuffling sounded behind her. Kristoff rested a hand on her back before joining her. He leaned against the wooden ledge and folded his hands. "I caught Olaf rubbing his buttons again…" Anna's face contorted in response. The wind tussled their hair. "Are they going to be here soon?"

"Yeah." Her eyes narrowed. "That's the ninth group that has stopped those two to ask for her autograph. What a culture shock," she mumbled.

Kristoff followed her gaze to observe a baffled looking Marie shaking the vigorous hand of a mother with two children. One of the children held out a book, which Marie took and signed. "Have you been spying?"

She puffed out her small chest. "I am the queen." The child jumped up and down in excitement as they retrieved their book and turned to give Elsa a hug before departing. The two women waved and watched the family leave. Anna's hair was buffeted by the wind once again. Rhythmic, thunderous booms sounded from the hills outside of the town. A wave of little snowmen slithered over the land toward Arendelle. Anna started for the balcony door. "They're here."

Kristoff whistled as a giant snow monster appeared over the hill and descended along with the other snow creatures. "This should be interesting," he mumbled.

Anna raced down to the castle doors and pushed them open. The snow giant stood over ten feet tall. Marshmallow's body was covered with various ice spikes that pointed into the air. Anna felt her chest tighten at the memory of how afraid her sister had been when she had summoned him. The Snowgies scampered around the bridge, their little squeaks filling the castle grounds. "Glad you could make it!" Anna put her hands on her hips and looked up at Marshmallow. "I hope the trip wasn't too rough."

Behind the snow group, Elsa and Marie approached from the town. The Snowgies cheered in unison and tackled their mother. Elsa laughed as they ran up and down her limbs. "It's nice to see you, too!"

Kristoff, Sven and Olaf came through the door. "Siblings!" Olaf shouted gleefully. He dove into a pile of miniature snowmen. "How have you been for the last six days I haven't seen you?"

Marie froze as Snowgies swarmed her body like mewling kittens. "Holy crap. They're real, too," she squeaked. The bridge shook as Marshmallow took a step toward the stranger. Anna glanced at her sister in concern as he stared at Marie with narrowed eye slits. Elsa nodded her head. Marie took a step back, her eyes wide. Marshmallow exhaled and caused her brown hair to blow backward. Silently, she held up a shaky hand. The giant paused. "Hello," Marie managed to say. Marshmallow leaned down and rested his forehead against her hand. "Whoa." Suddenly Marie's hand shot back from his touch.

Elsa put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Sven let a groan of confusion next to Anna. Marie shook her hand as though she had been electrocuted. "Yeah, I'm alright," she replied slowly.

"Our reinforcements have arrived, Elsa." Anna made her way through the swarm of small snowmen to her sister. "You don't have to worry about leaving Arendelle alone now."

Elsa eyed her creations around her. "Are you sure? This enemy is different from any that Arendelle has faced before, but I can't leave the forest alone, either."

Anna softly placed her forehead on her sister's. "I know. We'll be okay. Plus, I think these little guys will keep everyone's spirits up while you're gone. Now!" The ginger clapped her hands together. "To the courtyard, everyone! General Mattias and the guards are waiting to start the meeting!" She gestured toward the castle doors. The Snowgies waddled past her, nearly sweeping her off her feet. Olaf's laughter filled the bridge as he was taken away by his brethren. Everyone made their way to the courtyard and piled in. Mattias stood with his hands placed behind his back, but Anna could not help but notice his face twist in shock at the sight of the snowmen, big and small. "All right, all right, settle down, everyone!" Her ingénue voice echoed throughout the yard, silencing the crowd. She crossed her arms. "Arendelle isn't the only place in danger from The Darkness. The Enchanted Forest is also at risk, so my sister and Marie need to go there and protect the spirits and the Northuldra. My sister's magic has proven useful against the darkness, and our guests have agreed to watch over the kingdom while she is gone." A couple guards mumbled amongst themselves. Anna continued. "I know this isn't the perfect solution, but it's all we have. We need to trust those who have chosen to fight this threat." Her eyes landed on Marie, who was staring at her. "I know I do."

Anna held a briefing with her staff, discussing the measures they would take to protect the citizens if any threat arose. Elsa and Kristoff went to ready a carriage for their trip while Marie and Mattias spoke near Marshmallow. As Anna approached them, Mattias bid farewell and left with his guard. Marie was nearly thrown off balance as a few Snowgies leaped on her head. "Nice speech," she remarked to the queen. "You seemed to get everyone's spirits up." Anna folded her hands together and stared at the foreigner with a blank expression. Marie held out an arm and summoned a dark blade as a little snowman ran down her long limb and jumped into its crown of brethren. "But I wouldn't trust someone like me so quickly."

"I don't trust you." Marie grunted in surprise but stood up straight as Anna maintained her eye contact. "My sister might, but how can I? You're not even from here! I just-ugh!" She snatched the blade of darkness from Marie and started striking the air. "Stupid guards can't even listen to me! They don't take me as seriously as they took my sister! Well, I'M sorry that I wasn't born with magical powers that could freeze you in an instant if you ticked me off!" Marshmellow let out a rumble of confusion as she continued to slash the empty air. "And what is wrong with me? My sister was born with magical powers, but when my kingdom needs protecting, the powers of darkness or fate or whatever choose a BOOK character to protect it! Stupid wedding has to be during all of this, and it's too late to cancel because of all the planning and the guests that are coming!" Anna paced, the Snowgies playfully running around her feet as she moved. "My sister gets to ride a water horse while I lead a kingdom! You!" She pointed the blade at Marie's chest, causing the woman to jump. "What are you to Elsa, anyway? How do you feel about her?"

The royal eyes grew wide as the woman in front of her shook, but Marie did not avoid her gaze. She maintained her ground, even though she knew Anna could easily dispatch her. "I don't want to hurt her," she said quietly. Anna tightened her grip on the ethereal weapon but faltered slightly. "She's important to me." Marie's hand suddenly shot to the blade and squeezed it. "I don't know why you weren't chosen, Anna. I don't know why I'm even here. None of it makes sense. But I wouldn't give this power to you even if I could."

Anna gasped. "Why not?" she shouted.

"Because it's a horrible burden. I almost let it take control of me and kill people. This _thing_ that you want so badly tore me from everyone that I love, from everything that I've ever known. It has the power to do that and probably even more than either of us can imagine." Marie's voice was passionate but still calm. Anna found herself aiming the blade's tip at her chest while listening intently. Footsteps pounded across the stone, and General Mattias yelled out to her with a line of guards at his side. Anna held up her hand. She glared at Marie. The other woman loosened her grip on the sword. "Elsa trusted you with this kingdom because she knew you were the right choice all along. You were born to lead. The darkness chose me because I know what it feels like. I'm not saying you don't because I know you've been through a lot, but I still wouldn't give this to you. Don't you feel that?" Anna shifted and looked at the blade as Marie motioned to it. "Wielding this power is heavy."

It was true. Ever since Anna had taken the dark blade from Marie, she had been filled with anger, sadness and malice. The blade seemed to feed off her emotions the longer she hung onto it. Anna lifted the hilt. "Why can you wield it, then?"

Marie shook her head. "Because I have nothing to lose."

"But what if that changes?" Anna asked. "What if-?" She stopped. Marie exhaled heavily as the queen lowered the dark sword. Anna flicked the blade downward and offered the hilt to Marie. "Forgive me. I just needed to see if you were strong enough. Here."

"Keep it," Marie responded, trying not to appear visibly nervous. "I think you'll get plenty of use from it."

Anna twirled it around and peered at it. "You're right…Do you think you and Elsa could make enough of these for the guards?"

Mattias sheathed his steel sword. "I'm too old for this."

The ginger shot him a glare. She held out her hand to Marie. "You did well. If you couldn't handle a little intimidation from me, I don't think you could handle a threat to the whole kingdom."

Marie blinked. Slowly, she shook Anna's hand. "A _little_?"

Anna let out a laugh. Marie gasped as the queen suddenly pulled her in for an embrace. "Look after her for me."

Marie hugged her back. "I will."

The baying of a reindeer sounded near the entrance, and the two women looked up to see Kristoff, Sven and Elsa entering the courtyard. Elsa stopped in her tracks. "What did you do?"

"Just a little training!" Anna piped up, scampering toward her. "Do you think you could make like twenty ice swords? Ooh, and enchant this one, too!"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Why do all the Snowgies look terrified? And how did you get that sword?" Anna placed her hands on her hips while she and Elsa bickered. Marshmallow groaned loudly and sat on the ground.

Marie joined him and sighed. "And I thought you were scary." The snowman grunted in agreement.


	9. Chapter 8

"So fire is weak to water, water is weak to plant, and plant is weak to fire?"

"They call it grass type, but yeah!" Marie jumped over a fallen log while replying. She, Elsa and a few guards were on their way to The Enchanted Forest. The sun peered at them from above the snow tipped mountains, its warm rays beginning to lose their touch. Elsa tapped her chin in thought. "The games are a lot simpler than the anime," Marie said. "Show. Um, story!"

Elsa conjured a few snowflakes at her fingertips. It was entertaining to her to listen to Marie try and explain her world. She could not help but giggle to herself in reaction to Marie's frustration.

_"Make her jealous."_

Marie paused in the middle of the grass trail when the royal stopped. "You okay?"

The Snow Queen shook her head vehemently. "Yes. Just lost in thought." Marie's gaze lingered but turned to the trail. Elsa sighed. Right before their departure, her sister had pulled her aside and whispered those words to her. She clasped her hands together. _What does that even mean?_ she thought to herself.

"Do Honeymaren and Ryder exist?" Marie asked curiously. Elsa tripped over a pothole, letting out a startled gasp. Marie caught her. "Whoa, are you sure you're okay?" the foreigner asked, her voice rising in pitch. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject."

Elsa froze momentarily as Marie's breath sounded next to her ear. The other woman lifted her to her feet. Their eyes met. Elsa tore her gaze away. "It's not a sore subject," she spat. Elsa flicked her dress and whipped around. One of the guards coughed. She walked ahead of Marie, her heart still beating quickly in her small chest. _Why am I acting like this?_

"I won't pester you about it." Elsa grasped the sides of her dress tightly. Marie's voice, although respectful, was tinted with the perfect amount of pity to make the former queen stop in her tracks.

"Your Highness?" a guard ventured carefully.

"We'll make camp on the top of this hill," Elsa commanded. "Please go make preparations ahead of us." The guards looked among each other before trudging up the remainder of the hill, not daring to even murmur under their breath. The squealing of the carriage wheel surrounded the group as it passed.

Marie's eyes flicked between the royal and the carriage. It seemed to squeal a longer length of time to spite Elsa. "Uh…" A blast of snow shot at Marie. She shielded herself and conjured a dark shield. Elsa lowered her hands as she became slightly out of breath. Marie gritted her teeth while hissing, "Your eyes gave you away." The brunette's body was surrounded by a swarm of darkness. Her blue eyes were narrowed into slits. "That, or the way you stormed off like a frickin _child_!" Marie's last word was enunciated as she threw her arms forward. The wave of dark hit Elsa, causing her to fly backward. She hit the ground with a _thud!_

"Your Majesty!" A guard ran toward Elsa but was stopped by a giant ice wall shooting up from the ground.

"It's just training!" the ice queen called, wiping some dirt off her face with the back of her hand.

Marie's darkness vanished. "Are you serious?!" she shouted. Elsa pointed her hand below Marie's feet. She slipped, slamming her face on the ground and beginning to slide down the hill. With a grunt, Marie formed a black blade and stabbed it into the ice to stop herself. Elsa walked towards her, the ice dissipating with each step.

"The best, and quickest way to train is by surprise." The fifth spirit said. Marie pushed herself up to her knees, her chest heaving. "You feel that anger right now? Use it." Elsa twirled her hands around her head, her magic following as she readied herself. "I can take it." Marie stood and glared at her. Excitement bubbled in Elsa's chest.

Mid-range was her specialty. But Marie did not start that way. The foreigner's fingers aimed at Elsa and rays of darkness shot out from their tips. Elsa averted the shots by ricocheting them to the side with a forearm covered in ice. Marie huffed and let out a shot near her feet. The ice mage leaped backward as the icy ground broke into shards that flew into her line of vision. The shards floated stilly, and Marie's eyes grew wide with horror as they fell under the queen's possession and pointed straight for her. She stumbled. "Y-you're fucking insane!" she yelped.

"Block!" Elsa demanded. She threw her arm down, launching the shards. Marie let out a holler and shielded her face with her arms. Paralyzing fear came over Elsa as her magic traveled the length between them. Her ice shards were forced to a stop barely an inch from Marie's skin. The brunette slowly opened her eyes. A black but transparent ward hummed in front of her forearms. It began on the ground and extended a foot above Marie's head. Her mouth fell open in pure wonder. Straightening her arms, she found that the ward followed her vision but kept an unchanging distance from her. An abrupt laugh of excitement escaped her. Suddenly she positioned her tall frame into a fighting stance, her fingers outstretched in fervor. The inside of the ice mage felt like it was on fire. Elsa smiled and began forming snowballs at her fingertips. "That's it," she said coolly.

Marie crossed her forearms and whipped them down, conjuring two dark wards at her sides. "Bring it." A wicked smile formed on Elsa's lips. She barreled five snowballs at her friend without hesitation. Marie struck out at them, and to Elsa's alarm, sent them reflecting directly back at her. She dodged rolled and threw ten more at an angle. Marie batted them off and swung her arms forward, launching her wards at Elsa. She blocked with ice infused hands. Her feet began slipping, even though she was being pushed uphill. With a grunt, Elsa pushed back. The dark ward cracked as its ethereal energy started freezing. Marie growled and conjured a sword. Elsa broke through the ward and summoned her own ice blade. The two collided.

Marie struggled against the sheer force of the more experienced, more combative mage. Her face contorted in effort. "I…won't…lose!"

Their breathing was labored, and their faces were sweating. Both of their swords were being pressed together near the hilts, forcing their hips and legs to do most of the pushing. Marie grunted in extreme effort, her breath running over Elsa's face. The former queen moved closer and emitted a wave of cold magic. "Then disarm me," she said in a low tone. Alarm washed over Elsa when she heard the tone of her voice. Desire had been seeded in her for a while, and she had tried uprooting it earlier at the chapel. But Marie would not give up. The other woman pushed forward and let out a growl of determination and resolve. Elsa wanted to ignore that it was there at all, but it continued to grow. Now, as Marie fought back, and as her body was quivering right before her own, Elsa felt the desire spread throughout her body. Her ice blade surged with her emotion and began to slowly seep into Marie's dark blade.

A _boom!_ filled the hillside. Marie had formed a dark mass at the end of her sword while they struggled. Twisting their blades, the tip pointed at the ice wall that separated them and the guards. It released and crashed into the wall, sending a thunderous noise to rock the mountainside. Elsa faltered. With a massive grunt, Marie swung their blades and launched Elsa's high into the air. The ice mage stared at her in shock. The sound of cracking ice erupted near them, and the ice mage immediately dove to shield Marie from the chunks of ice that were barreling toward them.

The blonde covered Marie with her body and braced herself for the icy impact by surrounding them with a barrier. The runaway ice shook them. They yelled as their bodies slammed against the downhill side of her barrier, the uphill side beginning to crack from the onslaught. As soon as it happened, it ended. Elsa slowly opened her eyes. No light pierced her vision. Darkness wrapped around their bodies, and as Elsa dissolved her barrier, Marie dissolved hers. The guards, who had been entertained from the safety of the wall, cheered when the two women appeared without a scratch. Elsa's hand ran down Marie's back in relief. The brunette's body thrusted forward, and Elsa gasped as Marie's arms wrapped around her tightly. Her long but feminine fingertips dug into the fabric of her dark pink dress. Elsa's body trembled.

"Are you hurt?" Marie's voice was nothing more than a whisper, to which Elsa almost did not hear over the guards' cheering. One of her hands wrapped around the curve of Elsa's hip, and the other reached the side of her chest. Her face was pressed into the blonde's lower neck and shoulder.

Elsa slipped her arms around Marie's back and firmly squeezed. She shook her head into the other's shoulder. Marie trembled in response. Her smell, although salty from the sweat, was still sweet flowery from the soap Marie had used that morning. Her ribs extended and withdrew under Elsa's fingers, which could not help but glide over her. One of her hands drifted into her brown hair and touched the back of her neck. She mouthed the word, "You?" into Marie's neck, her pink lips shaking from the urge to press against her wet, salty skin. Marie pulled away but ran her face along Elsa's neck, jaw and cheek. Her blue eyes burned into Elsa that made the woman's body throb. It was vulnerable, yet certain. It bore into the queen unexpectedly. Elsa's breath caught in her throat. Marie gazed down at her lips, and began to lean in. "W-we should make camp," Elsa stammered breathlessly. Marie blushed deeply and pulled away, giving a nod. With shaky hands, Elsa scooted herself away and dissolved the broken ice wall, trudging past the whispers and stares of the guards as she nearly bit her lip to the point of drawing blood.

_"You can't play coy forever."_ As soon as she reached the trees, she lifted her dress and ran.

The sun had dipped behind the horizon, bidding farewell by leaving the mountains lightless. Marie sat by a campfire with her knees raised while she poked the fire with a long stick. A middle-aged guard offered her a piece of bread, but she politely declined. Elsa walked into the ring of light the fire cast, her stomach turning into knots. Marie eyed her but tore her gaze away when Elsa caught her. A guard behind Marie motioned encouragingly. Elsa's face turned red and she whipped around in embarrassment. "A few of us are going to go wash up in the creek," the same guard voiced. "The rest are going to scout the area. Just holler if you need us."

Elsa nodded and began pulling her hair back absentmindedly. The group of guards left the camp quickly, whispering among themselves like excited children. Marie continued to poke the burning logs while Elsa faced away from her and fixed her hair into a French braid. A lone spark danced into the darkness. Elsa dipped her head and moved her gaze to Marie, who looked away. The former queen's cheeks burned, and she smiled to herself despite the feeling of guilt raking across her chest. This continued until Elsa finally voiced, "You're staring."

Marie hid her face behind her arm that was wrapped around her knees. "I can't braid my hair unless it's wet," she mumbled. Elsa pulled her braid to the side, her hands smoothing out her strands. The fire cracked between them, mocking the silence. Marie stretched out a long leg and rested her chin on her forearm. "And…I can't go anywhere if I'm upset." The brunette flicked a coal into the fire, her blue eyes fixated on the job. "That was my biggest defense mechanism back home; I had somewhere to hide. Here, I can't go anywhere." The corner of her mouth fell into a frown. "I fucking hate it." The fire spat out more sparks.

Elsa stood in thought. Slowly, she made her way over to Marie's side and sat down with her back to the fire. She leaned on her arm that was closest to Marie. "You don't have to protect Arendelle. If that's not what you want, I can find somewhere for you to stay."

"Of course, I want to help," Marie replied sternly. She shoved the end of the stick into ash. "I just-…I wasn't given a choice, you know?" Her other leg drifted down and crossed over her other foot as she leaned back on her hands. The firelight illuminated off her long, tan legs. Elsa watched its reflection for a few seconds.

"Honeymaren kissed me," the royal suddenly spewed. Marie flinched and looked at her in alarm. Elsa looked down at her feet and wiggled them nervously. "It wasn't long ago, either. We were up late one night talking, and she kissed me." She hugged her knees. "We've been friends for a while and she's wonderful. But I've hurt people I've gotten close to before. It may have been years ago, but I still think about my actions all the time." Their eyes met. "How do I know that I will be able to control my magic if I get close to someone? I don't think I could live with that."

"Did you tell her?" asked Marie.

A forced chuckle came out of Elsa's mouth. "I…kinda ran away."

Marie bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from giggling at Elsa's sheepishness. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said sincerely. Elsa hid her face in her knees and kneaded the ground with her feet. "But I think what you're feeling is okay. I don't, er, _didn't_ have magic but was really nervous about getting close to someone. I still am." Elsa peeked at her with one eye. "It's natural for people who've been through what we have to be afraid of intimacy. Plus, the first kiss isn't as great as everyone thinks."

Curiosity gnawed at Elsa. She swallowed a lump in her throat and wiggled her feet even more. "How was yours?"

An exasperated moan escaped Marie. "Like kissing a wet rock." They chuckled. "It was sweet, but I really had to pee, and it was raining! Not even a romantic rain, either. It was that sharp kind of rain that's cold and nasty." Marie paused, her fingers digging into the dirt. "Thank you for telling me."

Elsa moved her left arm over her and set her hand on the other side of Marie, bravely closing the distance. She kept her gaze lowered. "I'd like to know what it feels like," she said softly. Her eyes searched Marie for any type of reaction. Her body language, her breathing, her eyes, even her body temperature, which had skyrocketed: Elsa watched with a rising sense of overwhelming satisfaction as Marie changed from the confident, empathetic woman to a shy, flustering girl right in front of her. She crumbled, and she was painfully aware of it. As Marie's mouth opened to begin a nervous ramble, Elsa grabbed her left hand with her right and breathed, "Please."

Nothing but the crackle of the fire was heard in the camp. Marie's fingers pulled away from Elsa's but found their way back, lacing between. She squeezed and set her other hand on the other side of Elsa. Ever so slowly, the two leaned in. Each hot breath ran over the other earnestly, and their lips shook as they parted. The first touch was tender, nearly questionable on whether their lips had even touched at all. Instant fire shot throughout their bodies, paralyzing them in place. Elsa's eyes were still open but found themselves slowly flitting shut. Their hands pressed into each other in a way their bodies longed to but were too shy to ask for. Marie pulled away and sucked in a breath, her top lip grazing Elsa's soft, pink bottom lip. They met each other halfway. Elsa wrapped her arms around Marie's small but beautiful frame. Her magic pulsed within her, but any concrete thought melted away when Marie lips pressed into hers eagerly. The royal froze as her entire body was captivated by the person who had entered her life and refused to leave her mind. They released from each other only to immediately find each other once more. Marie trembled. When was the last time she had felt this kind of warmth? Her body ached to press against the other woman's, and her control was quickly fading from existence, but for the first time in years, she did not care. The royal's fingertips slipped under the collar of Marie's shirt.

Suddenly Elsa pulled away, her hands beginning to emit ice from their palms. She hid them in shame and started to move away from Marie. A hand snatched her forearm. Marie pulled her in and embraced her. The brunette was unwavering as she nestled the side of her face against Elsa's neck, her eyes closed. Elsa shook, her breath labored. Marie was still here? She was choosing to be near Elsa, even after she could have hurt her. It did not make sense to her. But, as Marie's warmth seeped into her, Elsa began to think that maybe it did not have to. Slowly, her arms lifted and wrapped around Marie. Several minutes passed, the fire burning softly in the night air, but the two remained embraced, unmoving.

Marie pulled away. "I should get ready for bed," she said quietly.

"Yes." Elsa stared at their entwined hands.

"Anytime you need help, just let me know." Marie rose and gave her a smile. "I'll be there." Elsa's hand dug into the dirt as Marie walked away. The foreigner waved a finger in the air and turned her head. "Not because you're queen, either. Because I choose to be."


	10. Chapter 9

Brother and sister hid in the vast brush of the Enchanted Forest, his bow ready and her sword drawn. Honeymaren signaled behind her, and a small group of fellow hunters began to fan out around the cliff before them. A herd of wild hogs snorted while they grazed.

Ryder grabbed the shoulder of a young boy next to him. "You ready for this?" he asked the youth.

The eleven-year-old drew his dagger. "Climb a tree if they charge, right?"

"Right." Ryder gave him a comforting pat. "Here goes." His sister nodded and prepared to leap out of the forest but stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong with that one?" she asked quietly. Ryder followed her gaze. A young adult hog had begun squealing and kicking the air around it, alarming the rest of the herd as they ran away. A gasp escaped Honeymaren when she saw a cloud of darkness swarm around the animal. Its cries filled the cliffside as it attempted to fight off the black poison.

"Get Isa out of here!" Ryder shouted, drawing an arrow. The other hunters let their arrows fly. "No!" he hollered. The hogs squealed and took off in all directions. Ryder hid behind a large spruce tree as the herd sprinted past, their brown fur raised in fright. Labored breathes sounded above him, and the young man looked up to see his sister and Isa perched on a thick branch. Other than some scratches that covered his forearms from the climb, the boy was unharmed. Ryder and Honeymaren sighed in relief. They dropped down and began retreating up the hill.

"My knife! I dropped it!" Isa cried.

Demonic squeals echoed around the brush. The three watched as the hog ran into a boulder in a blind frenzy while the dark entity leeched onto it. "We'll come back for it later. Let's go!" Honeymaren urged, pulling him along.

"My dad gave it to me!" Isa broke free and sprinted. "I can't leave it!" Ryder rushed after the boy, but as soon as Isa reached the edge of the tree line, Ryder was knocked back with sudden force. A wall of fire had appeared out of nowhere and separated the forest from the cliff. Ryder gasped and stumbled backward on all fours, his sister grabbing his shoulder.

"Isa!" they screamed. Ryder gritted his teeth and charged forward, leaping through the wall of fire. He collapsed on the coarse ground with a cough. Isa was still on the ground from the impact, but with a small lizard standing in front of him. The fire spirit growled cutely, and a blaze of fire shot up from its body. The darkness infected hog pawed the dirt before charging.

The wall of fire ceased to burn as a blast of ice froze it solid. A tall, young woman shot over the hill, her body covered in what appeared to be dark armor. She skated along the ice wall and grabbed Isa by the shoulder. Ryder watched with pure wonder and audibly gasped. Marie glided by and grabbed him by the foot. He let out a high-pitched scream. Marie struggled under the weight of the two and fell. Their bodies rolled several feet before coming to a stop. Ryder shook his disoriented head, Isa groaning beside him. Marie stood and eyed them, a dark sword held out in front of her. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

Ryder sat up. She was nearly his height but was slender. Her blue eyes pierced into them intensely yet softly. Her loose brown hair was held back by what appeared to be a helmet made of darkness. He could sense that this darkness was not evil, though. The woman seemed to be working with it harmoniously. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "W-we're fine!" he stammered.

Another mage rocketed into the air using a gust of wind from the wind spirit, Gale. Elsa aimed her ice-covered palms at the hog and imprisoned it in a frozen cage. It slammed into it and let out a furious cry. She landed and ran to their sides. "Another animal," she commented.

Marie twirled her dark blade. "Yeah, but this one's fighting." The two women grasped each other's arms, and Ryder let out a startled scream as Elsa's body became covered in darkness and the other woman's body became covered in ice. Leaves danced around them as Gale rushed past.

"Look after them for me, will you?" Elsa asked. Bruni leaped over and flared up, his beady little eyes narrowed into slits. The two women charged forward. The darkness let out a hiss and grew as they approached, forming demonic hands and lashing out at them. Elsa threw two ice spikes that stabbed through its palms. A squeal of pure agony filled the air. Marie and Elsa came to a halt and grabbed their ears in pain.

"Argh! What the hell?" Marie stumbled backward as the darkness roared and formed a cyclone. "We can't attack it without hurting the pig!" A familiar whistling sound surrounded them, and Marie and Elsa were blown back as Gale circled the hog.

Elsa shielded her face. "No! Get out of there!" Gale fought the dark cyclone, attempting to change the direction of the wind current. Soon, the darkness attacked the wind spirit, causing the hog to levitate. Marie formed a ward and blocked nearby debris from hitting Elsa.

_Can't…take it anymore…_ The women gasped at the voice that filled their minds. The hog slammed to the ground and slowly dug its hooves into the dirt. _Can't take it anymore!_ Gale struggled against the darkness, unable to stop the current from changing direction. Suddenly the hog cried desperately and jumped off the edge of the cliff. The two women could only watch as the darkness was ripped away from Gale and tossed into the sea below. Marie stumbled to her feet and ran to the edge. The hog had already hit the surface of the water, the darkness following suit.

Elsa waved a hand and dissipated the ice wall behind them. Marie slammed a fist on the ground. "Shit!" she hissed.

A hand rested on her shoulder. "Not every battle can be won," Elsa said. "It made its choice." A gust of wind blew past them while their armor faded. The royal held out a hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Gale. At least everyone else is-"

"Isa!" A familiar voice rang through the trees, causing Elsa to flinch. Honeymaren skidded to a halt as she embraced her brother and the young boy. "Ryder! You okay?"

Ryder scratched his head and smiled widely. "I think so. You should have seen what happened! Ow!" He grabbed his arm after his sister smacked him.

"Idiot! Charging through fire like that!" Honeymaren snatched his ear and pulled him to his feet. "Just wait until Yelena gets ahold of you."

"Elsa!" Isa bolted for the blonde and hugged her tightly. "You made it just in time!" He pulled away, his light brown eyes resting on the woman behind her. "Is she the one you told us about?"

She turned to introduce Marie but paused for a moment. The brunette was gazing out into the sea with Bruni on her shoulder. The lizard licked his eyeball as she spoke to him. Elsa cleared her throat. Marie turned. "Oh! Sorry! My name's Marie. No, I don't have evil powers, yes I'm from another world and yes, my nose really looks like this."

Honeymaren's shoulders bounced slightly as she let out a chuckle. "It reminds me of the rest of the townspeople. These two got their mother's nose," she said, motioning with her head at Elsa. She held out a hand. "Honeymaren."

Marie shook it. "Half my ancestors are from Norway, so that makes sense!" She held out a hand to Ryder. "I hope I didn't hurt you guys too bad when I grabbed you." He managed to grab her hand and shake it roughly while staring. She withdrew and knelt. "This almost blew over the edge." A dark grey blade reflected in the morning sun. "Hang onto it, bud."

"You must be the stranger from another land." A tan-skinned woman with long, grey braided hair stepped out of the forest, the rest of the hunters following. Her narrow face tensed at the sight of Marie. "I saw the fight from the camp."

The brunette stepped forward. "You must be Yelena." The leader of the Northuldra continued to peer at Marie. She held a hand to her chest. "In my world, you're part of Elsa and Anna's journey. It's the most famous animated film to this day." Marie held out a hand. "I can explain everything, starting at the beginning."

Elsa did not need a reminder as to why her chest suddenly throbbed. She gave Yelena a confident nod. Yelena relaxed and opened her arms. "If Elsa trusts you, so shall we." Marie stepped forward and scratched her head. Elsa watched with an unknowing smile. Honeymaren lowered her gaze to the ground.

"You'll like our camp!" Ryder said excitedly, leaping to Marie's side and walking with the group. "Name's Ryder."

"Hello." The foreigner shook his hand. "That was pretty brave what you did back there, jumping in after him."

"It was also stupid!" Elsa put a hand over her own mouth in surprise. The words just flooded out of her after Marie had spoken. Ryder kept grinning widely and put his hands behind his head proudly, much to Elsa's content. She breathed in deeply and stood up straight. "You could have been hurt."

The morning rolled into the afternoon and soon the evening. Elsa had brought some papers and produce from Arendelle in the wagon. The guards had departed the camp in the late afternoon with the traded goods and signed documents. Elsa felt the evening rays shine upon her face as her and Yelena walked around the camp. A few children ran in front of them, a baby reindeer not far behind. Yelena scolded them warmly. "They've been acting like that ever since the summer program was set back."

A familiar feminine voice reached her ears from the other end of camp. Elsa squeezed her hands together at the sight of Marie celebrating her archery skills. Most of the day had been spent with the Northuldra showing the newcomer around camp and the forest. Marie had followed eagerly, soaking up every detail like a hyper child. Elsa could not help but smile at the memory of Marie's copious amount of questions. Another shout of praise sounded next to Marie, and Elsa found herself frowning slightly at the sight of Ryder high-fiving Marie. To no one's surprise, several children and teenagers crowded around the new mage. A small crowd had followed Marie all day. Elsa looked at her fondly. "I don't think it'll be for long," she responded.

"ELSA! ELSA! ELSA! WATCH THIS!" Marie jumped up and down, entertaining the youth around her. Elsa picked up her dress and trotted forward. "Watch what happens when I tip the arrow with my darkness!" Marie breathed in and pulled back an arrow. Her forefinger pressed against the shaft while her jaw anchored. A sound like a flame flickering erupted and the arrow was covered in Marie's power. She froze for a moment before releasing. The arrow flew, and Elsa watched as it blew the wooden target backward five feet. Marie grinned widely and lowered the bow. Elsa's eyes flickered between her and the fallen target. Suddenly her palms ignited with ice. Without even looking at the target next to it, Elsa wordlessly conjured her own bow and sent a frozen arrow flying. It exploded the target upon impact. Marie jumped in alarm. Elsa lowered her hands and dismissed her bow, her eyes never leaving Marie. She closed her gaping mouth and bowed dramatically. The urge to break her composure rocketed Elsa as the rest of the crowd followed suit. She lifted her nose into the air and began to walk away slowly. Marie continued to bow but eyed the queen. "Showoff," she muttered. Elsa turned her head and winked coyly. Marie stood and hid her face, alarmed at how red it had gotten.

Later that night, the village began to die down as the dew settled. Elsa sighed happily as steam from fresh vegetable stew soaked into her pores. Once Marie and she had explained their story, the Northuldra were relentless with asking the foreigner questions about her world. Marie reveled in the attention and the actress shone brighter than the fire as she continued storytelling. Elsa's toes wiggled. The fire. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before. What had it all meant? Her blue eyes stared into the flames as her lips tingled. Had she gone too far? Her toes wiggled faster as it replayed in her mind repeatedly.

"Hello?"

Reality snapped her back into focus. "Oh, sorry!" Elsa shook her head and put on a pleasant smile. "I must have gotten lost in thought." Her breath caught in her throat when the face of Marie stared back at her. Only a couple people sat around the fire.

Marie tilted her head, her long body squatted. "You've been sitting there for nearly two hours. I was afraid your ice powers had finally frozen you solid." Elsa rolled her eyes and shot her a glare. Marie settled next to her by the nearly empty fireside, their sides nearly touching. The royal set her bowl of stew down and bit her lip nervously.

_Should I bring it up?_ Elsa's arms wrapped around her knees. _Do I bring it up now or later before we go to bed?_ Her eyes grew wide. _We're sharing my tent! _The tribe had given Elsa a giant teepee that expanded nearly twenty feet at its radius. Although it was not stone and marble, she found it quite cozy and comfortable. It was even big enough to house a small fire in the center.

"Has the darkness ever attacked the spirits like that before?" came a quiet question from Marie. Elsa flinched out of her thoughts and looked at her. The foreigner's blue eyes were glued to the fire, but her face was contorted in worry. Suddenly Elsa felt foolish.

"No," she pondered. "That was the first time." She closed her eyes with a frown. Of course, Marie was not wasting her time thinking about their encounter. The burn of shame scorched within Elsa's chest. _What's gotten into me?_

"But it wasn't the first suicide," Marie stated. "Your sister mentioned it before. I-I know it was just a pig, but still…" She threw a twig into the fire. "It didn't hesitate as soon as Gale got involved."

Elsa gazed at her for a moment. On the other side of the fire, Yelena and Honeymaren spoke quietly. The Northuldra leader's ear picked up on their conversation but she said nothing. Elsa breathed in heavily and nudged Marie with her shoulder. "The spirits aren't like normal creatures. They exist to protect the forest. They don't have the sense of conscientiousness that living beings do." Marie grunted in protest but remained silent. Elsa continued, "When Bruni woke us up this morning and led us here, it's because the spirits trust us. They know it's our job to rebalance."

Marie looked away. "And we failed."

"Did we?" Elsa made eye contact with her. "We saved many lives today, human and animal. We did all we could, and sometimes that's not enough. But we keep going."

A corner of Marie's mouth lifted into a smile. The brunette tore her gaze away and tensed. "I've no idea why, but what you said made me think of my mother." Her voice changed. Elsa found herself immediately captivated at the familiar tone of vulnerability. "She's such a strong woman, very loved by all. After she kicked my father out, she raised my brother and I the best she could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. I don't resent her, but I can't help but resent how she acted." A defeated huff escaped Marie. "Everyday, we all have the choice to mend our brokenness or let it consume us. The days when she let it consume her were the days that I hated the most, because I still tried to make it better. The night I came here, I was visiting her for the first time in months. I was going to tell her that I had finally realized how human she was, that she had made mistakes. That I needed space to be angry but that I couldn't hate her because I love her."

A hand gently grabbed Marie's hand. She turned her face towards Elsa only to suck in a breath as the blonde guided her fingers to Marie's chin and lifted it slightly. Intense blue eyes cascaded over Marie. "Don't ever doubt why you were chosen, Marie. You shine brighter than any darkness." Her fingers released and Elsa stood. "I'm going to turn in. Goodnight," she said softly. Each step she made on the grassy terrain met Marie's ears fervently. The woman could only stare straight ahead at nothing.

A disgruntled sigh sounded next to Marie. Yelena took a drink from a mead bottle. "Damn Arendellians know how to make alcohol, I'll give them that." Her worn but beautiful face turned towards the young woman. "Once. That look on your face only comes once in a lifetime. Treasure it." Yelena bid her farewell and departed for her own tent.

Marie managed to blink, and her lips parted to utter the words, "I can't."


	11. Chapter 10

The inside of Elsa's tent erupted with a blast of ice. The fifth spirit gasped loudly and shot up in her bed, sweat running down her brow. Marie jumped awake. "What the f- You okay?"

"Ahtohallan." Elsa's voice was urgent. "We need to go to Ahtohallan."

Marie looked over Elsa's shoulder. A couple hours had passed, and the two women were now riding The Nokk over the smooth surface of The Dark Sea. Glaciers riddled the water, causing Marie to stare in wonder. They were beautiful. Their reflection shone back at them, and Marie was suddenly reminded of how quiet Elsa was. The brunette cast a glance at her as they continued to ride, Elsa in the front. They had left suddenly, barely able to grab something to eat on their way out of the camp. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Marie asked.

Elsa squeezed the ice reins. "I might have remembered something important, but I can't be certain. Ahtohallan will have the answer."

Marie narrowed her eyes. "The answer to what?"

The Nokk neighed quietly in reaction to its riders' rising tension. Elsa stared straight ahead. "The real reason why I came to your world." A twisted pit swirled in Marie's gut. Something was not right. She could feel it. The Nokk slowed as they approached a giant glacier. It glowed with the same blue hue as Elsa's magic. But Marie did not have time to admire its beauty, for as soon as they came to the shore, the two women were greeted with the sight of a young girl standing on the icy terrain.

"Layla?" Marie leaped off the water spirit and sprinted towards her.

"Marie, wait!" Elsa cried. The brunette crashed through the image of the girl like fog.

"Who are you?" The voice was identical to Elsa's but sounded ethereal and distant. Marie gasped. Layla was nothing more than an illusion and she was not alone. A pure white figure of Elsa was approaching the girl. "Where did you come from?" the entity of Elsa asked.

Layla's figure ran into a crack of Ahtohallan's glacier, causing Elsa's figure to give chase. Marie froze. "Is this…a memory?"

Elsa's breath caught in her throat. "It's the night I crossed over, and when you came to Arendelle." They simultaneously followed the memory. The cold seeped into Marie from Ahtohallan's icy tunnels, but she pushed it down using the adrenaline that pumped through her veins.

"They're chasing me!" Layla's voice echoed.

"Who is?" The other Elsa grunted as the rift opened a few feet away from them. Although it was an illusion, gusts of wind still blew through the tunnels with great force. Layla stepped into the tear. "Wait!" The entity of Elsa dove after her, and the rift vanished as the memory ended.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Marie demanded, rounding in front of Elsa.

The royal's genuine confusion silenced Marie. "I didn't remember it happened until this morning," Elsa said quietly. Marie's gaze landed on something behind her, and Elsa followed at the sight of Marie's petrified expression. A dark figure stood at the end of the tunnel and stared. Marie took off. Elsa whipped around. "Wait! Don't go too far!" Her heart lurched within her small chest when Marie disappeared behind a turn. Elsa sprinted forward. "Marie, stop!" Her hand snatched the other woman's forearm. They were at the edge of an abyss, nothing but dark, empty space looming before them. Elsa held onto her arm and leaned down to catch her breath, her heart pounding. "You can't just run off in a place like this. You might not come back!"

Marie jerked her arm. "Let go! That asshole is here for a reason! I have to find out why!"

"Stop it!" Elsa's voice rang around them. Marie grew silent and lowered her gaze in shame. "Listen to me! If it weren't for Anna, I wouldn't have made it out of here. You can't dive deeper." She squeezed Marie's arm. "I won't let you."

A frustrated growl escaped Marie, but she did not pull away. "Why would Ahtohallan show us all this if nothing happens? Why did it bring us here?"

"I don't know, but we can't stay here." Elsa slipped her hand into Marie's, trying not to expose her own desperation. "Come on."

Marie was stupidly stubborn. Elsa knew that. It was written in her character, after all. But with each passing day they spent together, Elsa found herself looking at Marie with less of an idolized view. She was a person, just like everyone else, but as Elsa gazed at Marie's crumbling pride, she was reminded of how much adoration she had for her. A similar thought often ran through Marie's mind, as well. Marie twisted her face into a shy frown and groaned, "Lead the way." Elsa smiled fondly and guided her through the tunnel. Marie looked around. "So, where's all the shiny, huge ice columns that you lifted into the air during _Show Yourself?_" When Elsa replied with a confused expression, Marie asked, "You know, the best part of the movie?"

Elsa stopped. "We need to talk about that ki-"

"WHO'S THERE?" The royal let out an alarmed gasp when Marie suddenly grabbed her and conjured her dark blade. A man's voice echoed in the tunnels, sending both women on edge. Marie let go of Elsa to let her stand but still shielded her.

"Does this place get tourists?!" she hissed.

"No." Elsa ignited her icy palms. "Stay close." A dark wisp appeared around a dark blue corner, and the two approached cautiously. Elsa aimed her hands before rounding the turn and grunted in surprise. Another memory played out in front of them, this time showing a man speaking with the familiar dark figure. Elsa narrowed her eyes, trying to ponder if she recognized the stranger, but she got her answer as to who he was when Marie stepped forward.

"Grandpa John?"

"You've been chosen," the darkness stated. The blood drained from Marie's face. "There is an imbalance." The memory swirled and flitted past the two. Marie grasped Elsa's hand tightly and followed it. They found themselves at another drop off that was engulfed in darkness. The silhouette of Marie's grandfather ran over the empty air and into the blackness. Marie waved a hand, dissipating the dark. Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat.

The man floated in the middle of the abyss, his hands gripping his head. "I have to go back!" he cried with an echo. "It pulled me back before I could finish! Let me go back!"

"You failed." Both looked around frantically in search of the darkness's voice. "Now you will forget." John screamed. Elsa and Marie shielded their eyes as the dark swirled once more, recreating John with another woman.

"We needed that money!" the woman shouted. "Why'd you have to go spend it all?"

John faced away from her, grabbing his head. "I'm trying to remember…"

"Remember what? That you have a family to feed instead of your drunkenness?"

"ENOUGH!" Marie flinched when John whipped around and struck his wife. She fell to the floor, but not without John following in a crazed frenzy. Elsa could only watch in silence, her eyes wide with shock. The memory changed to John fighting another person who was seemingly possessed by darkness, only for it to be his own son. John watched as his son stumbled to his feet and ran. He stared at his hands in horror. The boy grew into a man, and that man stood in front of a young girl.

"You're perfect," the man said, running a hand down her cheek. His fingers glided to her small neck and began squeezing. "Too perfect."

The man's chest was impaled with a bolt of darkness. Marie kept her hand raised as the image of her father faded from existence, darkness twirling around her fingers awaiting her next move. The younger version of herself slowly faded from view. Elsa stared at her, her own hand slowly raising. Marie gasped as Elsa's hand slipped into her dark infused one, her ice glowing softly. She gritted her teeth. Elsa lowered their hands silently. "Marie…"

The brunette left without a word. Elsa drew her hand in close to her chest. Slowly, she followed. Marie waited for her to lead them out of Ahtohallan, her gaze lowered. Silence gnawed their surroundings. What should she say? Elsa shielded her eyes from the late morning sun as they exited the tunnel. The Nokk awaited them and neighed lowly. The surface of the water rippled under the kelpie's hooves with power. Elsa gripped the ice reins tightly. Marie's forehead pressed firmly between her shoulder blades and did not move. As the shores of The Enchanted Forest came into view, The Nokk slowed, and the women got off. Elsa's feet padded across the sand, and she reached a hand up to bid farewell to the water spirit. It faded into the water. The royal took in a breath and said, "You're not like them."

"You forgot." Elsa turned to face Marie as she spoke. Her back was to her, and her shoulders shook. "You forgot what happened when you came back. So did my grandfather." She clenched her fists. "…So will I." Elsa reached for her hand, but when they touched, Marie jerked away violently. "Stop it!" She faced her, her eyes brimming with tears. It shook Elsa to the core. "Stop being like this! Stop treating me the way you do! The way you touch me, the way you look at me…" Elsa flinched when they made eye contact. "The way you kissed me… It has to stop."

Desperation jolted through Elsa. "But I-"

"Find someone who won't forget you!" Marie tore away and ran into the forest, unable to stop her tears from falling down her face. Elsa fell to her knees and stared after her in silence.

Honeymaren yawned loudly and kicked her feet back. "Thank the spirits we're done for the day." Her brother stuck his tongue out in concentration as he fiddled away with a wooden carving and his small knife. She chuckled and stretched out her arms against a pile of hides.

"Are you still mad at her?" Ryder asked, tilting his project in the sun to get a better view.

Honeymaren turned red. "I was never mad! I just-!" She groaned and covered her face. "I just don't know what to say."

"Oh. Well I'm sure you'll figure it out. She could use a friend." Ryder stuck his tongue out again. "Do you think Marie would go on a reindeer ride with me?"

Honeymaren sighed. "You're really dense, aren't you?"

"They're back!" one of the villagers shouted from the edge of camp.

Ryder ran over and greeted the two women. "Welcome back! What did you learn?"

Marie's positive disposition was absent. She kept her eyes on the ground, her face fallen with a look of deep sadness. Honeymaren made her way over to them slowly as Marie said, "I think it's best if I tell Yelena first."

"Come with me," their leader commanded softly. The village watched them depart into Yelena's tent and filled the camp with whispers. Honeymaren looked over the shoulders of the nosy crowd. Elsa was speaking with a couple villagers, her smile taught, and her hands clenched tightly in front of her. She dipped her head, and as she began to make her way to her tent, Honeymaren found herself following without hesitation. Elsa swerved and sat on a stump.

Honeymaren approached cautiously. "Hey," she greeted. When Elsa did not respond in any way, she sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry that things got weird between us," Elsa said after a few moments. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't know how my magic would react."

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that." Honeymaren leaned back. "But you could have just told me you didn't feel the same." Elsa looked at her with striking blue eyes. They were full of tears. She flinched. "But you were told otherwise, weren't you?"

Elsa wiped away tears that streamed down her face, but to no avail. "Why do I feel this way?" Honeymaren wrapped her arms around Elsa without a word. The blonde fell into her embrace. "I just want it to stop."

Honeymaren stroked Elsa's hair. "I know."


	12. Chapter 11

Elsa felt the water soak into her pale skin. She sighed heavily. Two days had passed since Marie and she had been to Ahtohallan and discovered that Marie's grandfather had been tasked with the same responsibility as them. Around her, Northuldra children and young adults leaped into the large pond from small cliffs. A group of around twenty had taken a trip to a nearby waterfall to spend the hot, sunny day in the water. Honeymaren eyed her while gliding in the water up to her nose. "Don't you ever get stressed from being stressed?" she asked sarcastically. Elsa crossed her arms and scowled. The Forest native groaned. "You cannot take a joke lately."

The queen gritted her teeth but said nothing. In the tall grass above, an exasperated Marie lay with her hands over her face. "Why did I do that?" she mumbled to herself. Ryder stretched out beside her and yawned. The men and women had branched off to change when they arrived. The swimming suits were made of leather but were surprisingly comfortable. One of Elsa's straps had been crooked. Without a second thought, Marie had tried straightening it, only for the blonde to jerk away and walk off. She sat up. They had not spoken ever since returning from Ahtohallan.

"Want some watermelon?" Ryder sounded next to her. She took some and munched absentmindedly.

"Can I ask you something?"

He smiled widely. He reminded Marie of her brother. "Yeah!"

She wiped her face off and gazed down at the head of long, platinum blonde hair. "What do you do if you hurt someone by not wanting to hurt them?"

"Hm…" He gave a toddler a piece of fruit. "It sounds like when I have to put the reindeer on a diet." Marie shot him a bewildered look. "They get mad at first but overall, it's benefitting them."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at them. Marie sighed. "Somehow, I don't think that's going to help me…" Suddenly she froze.

"Huh?" Ryder reached over to her. "You okay?"

Heaviness swelled within her. Marie grasped her head. "Y-yeah." She stood. "I just need to use the bathroom, or whatever you guys say to go pee."

Ryder rose, his eyes glued to her in concern. "Should I get Elsa?"

A pulse shot through her. "No." He flinched at her firmness. She put on a pleasant smile. "I just need a moment. I'll be fine." With clenched fists, she made her way to the brush. Another pulse emanated from her, and Marie gasped in pain. She fell to the ground. Darkness leaked from her skin.

_"You failed."_ Her anxiety only fueled the dark power. She began shaking. _"Now you will forget."_

"N-no," she breathed, the forest grass tickling her face. "I already made my choice." Countless therapy sessions ran throughout her mind. She closed her eyes. "I want to remember." Footsteps padded softly behind her, and she shot to her feet and leaned against a tree. Elsa appeared. She stopped a few yards away and lowered her gaze.

"Oh. I didn't realize that you were out here," she said quietly.

Marie's hands squeezed the tree bark as another onslaught of darkness pounded through her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up and faced Elsa, a cordial smile covering her mouth. "I was about to head back." Elsa sucked in a breath. Her smile was one that two strangers would exchange while passing on the street. She waited for Marie's footsteps to fade away before returning to the group. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the water, the Northuldra youth eventually convincing the ice mage to conjure an ice slide. Marie had managed to shade a large part of the pond as well. Her power had seemed to grow ever since Ahtohallan, but she had not voiced any concern. Elsa thought about their journey as the group walked back to the camp, her eyes flickering between the ground and Marie, who was ahead of her. A twisted knot boiled in her chest at the sight of Marie and Ryder talking to one another.

Suddenly Marie halted. "Elsa?"

A strong wind had picked up out of nowhere, blowing through the group with no mercy. In the distance, the neighing of a horse sounded, and as Elsa looked above the trees, she gasped as the Earth Giants appeared. "Get everyone back to camp!" Elsa ordered Ryder and Honeymaren. The two women immediately shot towards the spirits. The Nokk was bucking on the surface of a lake, a dark creature gripping its back. Two Earth Giants stood in the forest nearby and swatted above their heads as another dark mass buzzed around them.

Marie took a step back in alarm. "Wh-whoa…" It was difficult to keep her balance from the weight of the giants. She relaxed at the hips and steadied herself. "We should-"

"I've got this." Elsa casted herself with ice armor and launched herself over the water without hesitation. Marie grunted but followed. The Nokk kicked as Elsa shot a beam of ice at the dark creature that hung onto the water spirit's back. It hissed and convulsed demonically. Elsa gritted her teeth at the sound of its cries. Marie conjured a ward, blocking an oncoming rock that pummeled toward them. She aimed her hands behind her and let out a dark blast, rocketing herself upward. One of the giants let out a rumble of surprise as the foreigner leapt off its forearm. She summoned her blade and prepared to strike.

The air crisped around her. Elsa froze the space surrounding the Earth Giant's head and, with an ethereal blast, dissipated it. It was enough to damage the darkness, but not exterminate it. The giant roared and stumbled backward. Marie landed next to her on the shore. "What are you doing?" she shouted over the rumbling.

Elsa froze the surface of the water. "I told you to let me handle this!" she snapped. Marie flinched at her tone. The royal sprinted over to The Nokk.

Marie followed. "Let me help you!" The water spirit whinnied and jerked its head up and down, growing weary from its fight. Elsa captured the dark creature on its back in an ice shell. Marie slid to a halt, panic rising in her chest as Elsa struggled. "We're supposed to be working together, remember?"

"But that's not what you want!" Elsa's voice broke. She stumbled under the weight of the cold, dark mass, but Marie did not rush in to help. "You don't want that, so leave me alone!" Her brilliant blue eyes narrowed with effort. "I'll finish this by myself."

"That's not what I meant!" Marie felt desperation grip her. Behind them, Ryder and Honeymaren watched from the treeline, having gotten the Northuldra away from the chaos. Elsa spun around, and with a loud grunt, flung the darkness above her. It barreled into the side of one of the Earth Giant's heads, knocking it back a few feet. A deafening roar rocked the air. Marie dove forward as it swung down. "WATCH OUT!"

It was too late. Elsa conjured a shield, but it was not enough. The back of the Earth Giant's arm struck her. She was flung backward as her shield shattered into a thousand pieces. Her body twisted through the air and landed on the ground, shattering her ice armor on impact. She rolled violently to a stop, her body still. "Elsa!" Honeymaren rushed to her side with Ryder. "Elsa! Wake up! Wake up!"

Marie could not breathe. The air could not escape her. She could only watch as Honeymaren tried to shake Elsa awake, but to no avail. "N-no…" Everything began to grow dark. Honeymaren and Ryder looked up at the sudden change in atmosphere. "No." The Nokk neighed in pain as the dark creature bit into its neck. The two giants roared as they were blinded. Marie let her head hang. Elsa was not moving. Marie stared at nothing with wide eyes, the reality of it all slowly sinking into her bones. Darkness billowed around her body, slowly blocking out her surroundings.

A light cough escaped Elsa. The siblings reacted gleefully, but she did not notice. Her blue eyes flickered to the floating dark mass on the surface of the water. "Marie?" she rasped.

It all happened so fast. A blast of darkness exploded from Marie, breaking the frozen surface instantaneously. The creature of darkness opened its mouth to roar at her, but it never got the chance. Marie shot through the air and stripped it from The Nokk in one movement. The darkness ripped off the Earth Giants' eyes and joined its unbalanced brethren, screaming and snarling underneath the grip of the possessed young woman. Marie's eyes were pure black, and her body emitted a dark pulse with every second that passed.

Is this what she had built up for? The creature clung to her arm, its eyes widened with agony. Marie felt wild, unhinged, yet numb. It was a kind of anger that she had only seen other people express. On the shore, Ryder and Honeymaren shielded their faces from the dark pulses Marie emitted. Anna could not handle the darkness that sprouted from a blade: did Marie really think she could handle it on her own? Her family was gone. Her home was gone. Elsa was gone. Claws sprouted at the tips of Marie's fingers, and she let them sink into the creature. She was gone. The Nokk and Earth Giants shuffled uneasily. The dark creature's cries began to soften. Marie gritted her teeth, her body shaking. It was seeping into her bones, pumping through her veins, infecting her soul.

_Take back your control._

The siblings peered through the darkness when the pulses eased. Marie's eyes were clearing, their blue iris's searing through the blackness. Her own voice echoed in her mind repeatedly. The dark creature snarled and bit down on her hand but could not pierce through her armor. She lowered her arm, the black pulses drawing closer to her. Her feet met the lake's surface and glided to the bottom. "I control me." She released. The darkness slowly faded from view, its eyes closed peacefully. The water and earth spirits gazed at their surroundings as everything returned to its former state. Marie stared at her palm, a small sphere of darkness swirling on her skin. She closed her fist and dissipated it.

A small groan sounded from the shore. Honeymaren pulled Elsa closer to her. "You're okay!" she said in a rushed tone. The royal tried sitting up but was stopped. "Your shoulder's dislocated." Marie could not help but watch, a crushing weight bubbling within her. "This is going to hurt."

"What are you-? AH!" A sickening crunch filled the air as the siblings quickly realigned Elsa's shoulder. She fell back into Honeymaren's arms.

"She's scraped up pretty bad," Ryder commented quietly. What appeared to be extreme road rash raked across Elsa's left side of her back like a crazed animal's claw marks. Ryder picked the blonde up and made his way toward the camp.

Marie trotted behind them in worry. Honeymaren gave her a reassuring smile. "She's going to be okay." Marie stared at the ground and said nothing. Yelena rushed to Ryder's side when he breached camp, ordering him to bring Elsa inside of her tent. Honeymaren rested a hand on Marie's shoulder before entering. Marie paced. A few of the young Northuldra kept her company, their questions never ending, but Marie found comfort in their nativity. Over half an hour passed before the wooden slab swung open. Marie froze at the sight of Elsa. She was bandaged from her lower neck to her lower back and her left arm was in a sling. A loose faded dress hung off her shoulders and her blonde hair was pulled to the right to avoid her injuries. Marie clenched her fists, and before Elsa could open her mouth to speak, Marie shouted, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Honeymaren crossed her arms while Ryder whistled slowly. "Oh, boy…" the Northuldra woman muttered.

Elsa crossed her free arm over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "You didn't want me to bother you anymore, so I took matters into my own hands."

"By charging in and nearly getting yourself killed?!" Half the village awkwardly departed for their tents while the other half watched eagerly. Marie tensed like a bristled cat. "You can't do things like that!"

Elsa's small shoulders tensed in the same manner as the other woman. "I don't have another choice!" She tried to keep calm, but Marie was like water pushing against the stone walls of a dam, and Elsa felt herself breaking from the pressure. Her chest swelled. "You could leave at any moment and I'd have to do everything by myself, anyway!"

"But you don't have to do everything yourself!" Marie exclaimed. "I'm still here!"

"But you don't want to be!" Elsa shouted.

"I'M OVERWHELMED." The brunette raised her arms above her head to emphasis her words. "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Ryder opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by his sister, who slapped her hand over his face. Marie continued, "I was pulled into a Disney movie and given powers to fight some existential crisis that I JUST found out that my ancestors were tasked with, but they failed and that's why they were crazy! I'm confused!"

"I understand that." Elsa lowered her voice but remained tense. Her face twisted with emotion. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through." She gritted her teeth. "But what you said hurt me. You don't have to hurt others just to push them away!"

Instant guilt slammed Marie, but her pride slammed harder. "And you don't have to hurt yourself doing the same!" she retorted.

Elsa scoffed. "Why do you even care?"

"BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU!" The Northuldra did not make a sound. Marie froze, her eyes wide. A reindeer bayed in the distance.

Elsa's breath caught in her throat. "You-?"

"I, um…" Marie took a step back. "I didn't mean to get so angry, sorry. I just-…I need some space."

The royal reached for her when she bolted for the forest. "Wait!" A hand grabbed her free arm, and she looked behind her to see Yelena shaking her head softly. Elsa placed her hand on her chest and stared at the place where Marie disappeared.

The day passed and soon the only light that lit the camp was from a fire. Elsa paced alongside it, her blonde braid flipping from her shoulder to her back. Honeymaren had tried convincing her to go to bed, but the royal refused. She bit the end of her thumb absentmindedly. A twig snapped in the forest, and she jerked toward the sound. Marie emerged slowly, her body looking worn. Elsa nearly ran to her but held herself back. She composed herself. "Where have you been?" she asked coolly.

Marie stared at the ground like a scorned child. "Near the ridge," she replied quietly. "Yelena found me and gave me a blanket." She tugged at it. "You, uh…haven't been waiting all this time, have you?"

Elsa whipped to the side when her cheeks burned red. "Y-you've been gone for hours! Of course, I was worried." She grunted in pain as she tried to clasp her hands together, forgetting that one of her arms was bandaged. "No matter what you say, I'm always going to worry." Her eyes flitted to the tall brunette. "Even so, that doesn't excuse the way I acted. I'm sorry."

"N-no, I'm sorry!" Marie's voice rose in pitch as she took a step forward in earnest. "I was just…" Her shoulders drooped with defeat, and she sighed heavily. "…I was scared." Elsa listened quietly. A familiar sense of pride choked Marie, but she was desperately trying to overcome it; Elsa recognized it. Marie clenched her fists, trying to focus on her words. "You make me feel safe, Elsa," she said softly. "I've never felt safe before. Not like this. The rift…makes you forget. I didn't want to go through that pain, so I pushed you away." A jolt shot through Elsa as Marie looked her in the eyes. "But when I thought that I lost you, I realized that none of that mattered. I-…" She took in a breath. "I don't want to lose you."

Every interaction they had shared ran through Elsa's mind. A tear fell down her cheek, and she touched it in surprise. _Why do I feel this way?_ she thought to herself, wiping away her tears.

Marie grew startled. "Please don't cry!" she pleaded. "I'd rather you freeze me or something, not cry!"

"Dumby." Elsa slid her hand across her face sloppily but smiled. Her cheeks flushed. "I don't want to lose you, either. That's why I acted the way I did."

The foreigner shifted. "Oh."

Elsa chuckled warmly. "Yeah."

They made eye contact that felt like fire. Marie tore her gaze away. "I'm still mad," she said angrily, but Elsa could not help but think it was endearing. She almost looked like a child, with clenched fists and a forced frown. A sudden urge to close the distance between them burned through Elsa, and she took a step forward.

A small growl sounded around them. Marie hid her face. "I didn't eat," she mumbled.

A laugh escaped the ice mage. Elsa covered her mouth to stop her laughter. "I left out a bowl for you," she said warmly, gesturing towards the fire. "They managed to get a hog today."

Marie twisted her face but advanced forward. Elsa fetched the large wooden bowl, nearly dropping it. She was used to having only one hand. Marie watched and settled by the fire. She began eating, shoveling it in faster than she expected. She stopped. "You're staring," she imitated with a raised eyebrow. Elsa looked away quickly and played with her braid. The brunette sighed. "You didn't eat much, either, did you?"

She flinched. "I-"

"Here." A spoon full of stew wafted in front of Elsa's face. "We can share," Marie stated.

Elsa fought the urge to grin widely. "I can feed myself."

"Just eat," scorned Marie. "You're injured! You need to eat!"

The blonde relaxed, causing Marie to relax a little as well. "Okay," she said softly. Marie fed her, her blue eyes watching Elsa's mouth like a coddling mother. It was evident that she had experience feeding children by the way her own mouth opened slightly to mimic Elsa's. Elsa gripped the sandy ground. Their eyes met.

Marie grew red. "Shut up," she murmured. "I have to feed you after you go and hurt yourself, damn it." Elsa opened her mouth to retort but Marie shoved another spoonful in before she could. The former queen began to grow agitated but stopped in realization. Even though her words were sharp, her tone was not, and her body language was rather shy and embarrassed. She continued grumbling to herself while feeding Elsa. The blonde let her rant but could not hide her shoulders from bouncing with laughter. Marie tensed with a frown. They both started laughing at the same time. The warm, secure yet tantalizing feeling that only Elsa brought her flooded Marie, and she set the bowl down. "You really scared me today," she breathed.

Elsa leaned forward and rested her forehead against Marie's. "I'm sorry. I know you were trying to protect me, but let me decide how to feel about all of this, okay?"

Marie nuzzled against her. "I'm sorry." They pulled away. The brilliance of Elsa's gaze kept Marie close to her, and she could not help but notice how the firelight reflected off her pale skin. She wanted to protect her. She wanted to be close to her. Walls that Marie had built within her did not seem to bother Elsa. The way she was looking at Marie cemented it. It was freeing.

The warmth from the food soaked into Elsa, and she suddenly felt the pull of exhaustion. They made their way toward her tent and Marie helped her settle into bed. Elsa laid on her right side, her back facing Marie. Shuffling sounded behind her, and Elsa felt a warm body lay next to her. "You okay?"

Their backs were not touching but were still close enough to feel each other's heat. Marie covered half her face. "Just let me be here," she said quietly.

Elsa let her warmth soak into her. "Okay." Marie remained unmoving yet present, listening to the sound of Elsa's breath slowing as the royal drifted into a deep sleep. She eventually did the same.


	13. Chapter 12

Marie felt the warm mountain wind on her face and breathed in. A week had passed, and Elsa's shoulder had healed along with her scrapes. The former queen was saying her farewells to the Northuldra. It was time for them to return to the castle. Bruni hopped around Marie's feet and she leaned down. "Hey, there. I'm glad we all get along now," she said.

"Ready?" Elsa asked as she approached, her eyes fixed on the other woman. Marie nodded, trying to calm the familiar flutter in her chest. They had spent the last week on good terms, and Marie felt as though they had grown as close as best friends, but that did not stop her heart from racing every time Elsa laid eyes on her. Marie furrowed her eyebrows in frustration.

"U-um, wait!" The two women paused as Ryder ran to them. He scratched his head. "I, uh…Marie!" The brunette flinched. "Please save a dance for me at the wedding!"

"Oh." Marie blinked rapidly. "Of course."

Ryder threw his arms into the air. "Yes!" he hissed while walking away. "See? I _told_ you!" he yelled at his sister.

Elsa cleared her throat, causing Marie to nearly jump out of her skin. "We should be going." They waved and began their journey back to Arendelle. Marie eyed the royal nervously.

"So…the wedding. You excited?" Marie ventured.

Elsa's shoulders fell slightly from being tense. "I am," she answered with a smile. "Kristoff is like a brother to me, so I know Anna will be happy." She fiddled with a piece of fabric on her light blue dress. "In your world, do people go to dances together?"

"Yeah. Sometimes they go with friends but finding a date to a dance is still a huge part of our culture." Marie's eyes grew wide. "N-not that I'm going with Ryder! Just for a dance! Uh…" She had been in serious relationships before, but now Marie was fumbling over her words like a child. Elsa watched her from the corner of her eye while they walked through the tall meadow grass. It was adorable when Marie got flustered.

"I think it would be wonderful for Arendelle and its guests to see the heroine responsible for fighting the darkness," Elsa suggested. "I know they will be happy to thank you in person."

The foreigner's cheeks grew red. "You help. A little." A few hours later, the two women were barreling down a mountainside using their magic, having challenged each other to a race to Arendelle. Marie's dark powers were now harnessed, but not to the extent that Elsa's were. The newer mage lingered behind her just to view in complete wonder Elsa's mastery. One of her favorite moves was to use an ice ramp that looped in circles and twists to skate on. It was like watching her soar. Marie launched herself high into the air and dissipated her darkness, her body coming to a stop. Gravity caught her and began pulling her down. Marie dove through the air. _I hope I get this right,_ she thought to herself.

Elsa observed her flight. She took in a breath before blasting ice from her palms. With magnificent force, she rocketed into the air towards Marie. The ice mage let her body fall and waited. Marie sprouted dark wings and reached out to Elsa, her eyes streaming from the air whipping past them. As soon as their hands met, they exchanged magic and covered each other in dark ice. A gasp flew out of Marie's mouth from the cold and Elsa grinned. Marie's wings caught an air current, and she pulled up, gripping Elsa close to her. They glided a few feet off the ground. Elsa's brilliant blue eyes grew wide. She clasped onto Marie, feeling the warmth of her body and tasting the freshness of the air. Marie faltered slightly, and Elsa instantly conjured a snow hill. They landed in it, Elsa being dropped while Marie rolled. The brunette groaned and shook her head. "I went too fast."

She was interrupted by Elsa's body slamming into hers. "You did it!" she exclaimed excitedly, spinning them. "That was amazing! The way you flew and fell towards the ground! And that catch was perfect!" Her sudden, childlike enthusiasm was infectious.

Marie gripped her hands. "I know, right?! I've always wanted to fly!" She stopped when she realized how close they were, but Elsa did not seem to mind. Marie gazed at their hands shyly. Was she imagining it, or did Elsa want to be closer to her, too? Her eyes flickered up to Elsa's freckled face and back down again, the blood boiling within her.

Elsa wrapped her arms around her. "I'm proud of you," she said softly. She squeezed Marie warmly.

_No,_ Marie thought to herself, hugging her back._ She's just happy for me, that's all. Plus…we're both women. _

Elsa felt like burying her face within Marie's neck. She had embraced her to hide her own flushed face. _That was close,_ Elsa thought. Her hands trembled. _And now we're close…_

_This is going to be hard,_ they thought simultaneously, letting themselves sink into the other's presence, if only for a moment.

"You're back!" Marie smiled as Anna ran and embraced her older sister, nearly knocking her off her feet. The two sisters hugged on the town bridge. Around them, the snowgies bounced in greeting. The brunette tensed. She was not used to their appearance yet. Anna's red hair blocked her vision. "So? How did it go? Tell me everything!" The queen pulled away.

Elsa exchanged glances with Marie. "It tried to take over the spirits but failed." She smiled. "We stopped them."

Anna's eyes grew wide as she observed the two. "It sounds like a _lot_ happened," she muttered coyly. To the queen's surprise, it was Marie that grew flustered. She stormed off like a bristled cat, snowgies pouncing on her long limbs as she approached Kristoff, Sven and Olaf. Anna pinched her lips together but still grinned widely at her sister, who was staring after Marie with an expression Anna had never seen her have before. It was full of warmth, longing and fondness, but also had hints of tension and distance. She grabbed her older sibling by the arm. "We are _definitely _ talking about this."

"The spirits?" Elsa asked grimly. Her sister nudged her in protest. "The Northuldra? The wedding?"

"Oh. Speaking of…" Anna stopped in front of Elsa, suddenly growing quiet.

Elsa's face fell. "No…"

"The reply came while you were gone! He's not coming to the wedding because of some scheduling conflicts, but he is coming before then to deal with the new trade policies."

A sigh escaped Elsa. The remainder of the group circled them. A tight knot twisted in the royal's chest when Marie's blue eyes rested on her. "When should we expect them?"

Anna and Kristoff looked at each other. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry! We should all go inside," Kristoff spewed.

"When?" demanded Elsa.

Anna braced herself. "Tomorrow." Ice blasted from Elsa's hands. The mage froze the bridge that connected the castle to the town in an instant. She unfroze it with a wave of her hands and began walking to the castle doors, her posture poised but tensed. Anna sighed heavily. "Well that went over well."

Marie scratched her head. "I'm confused."

Olaf reached up and grabbed the foreigner's hand. "Oh, it's a long story about one of the reasons why Elsa hasn't looked for her true love," he stated lightly, pulling Marie to the castle. "But maybe that's a good thing, given her sister's history."

A couple hours later, Marie set down her glass of scotch on the castle's lengthy, dark wooden dining table. Her head swirled slightly. "So let me get this straight. The duke of Westleton's SON is coming here tomorrow, and he wants to try and court Elsa?" Next to her, Elsa lay sprawled out in one of the chairs, the wine bottle in her hand nearly empty.

Anna crossed her arms. "That's right. He's been trying for years."

A frustrated chuckle came from Marie. "Someone _procreated_ with the Duke of Westleton?!"

"That's what I said!" Kristoff exclaimed. They clinked glasses.

"Anna!" Elsa sat up slowly. "You're queen now! Why didn't you tell him that I'm not interested?" Marie frowned. Her tone was almost childlike with frustration, and it worried Marie.

"I did, Elsa. Dominic doesn't listen!" Anna sighed and sat down. "Arendelle profits well from trading with Westleton, you know that. It would be in our kingdom's best interest to resume trading with them. That's the real reason he's coming. He'll just…" Her hands waved in the air as she searched for words. "…try and whoo you in the process. And fail. Again."

A giggle sounded from Olaf. "Royals seem to have so much trouble with love."

Marie found herself tensing to the point of extreme discomfort. She attempted to relax, but to no avail. "Doesn't this guy know you're not queen anymore?" she asked. Elsa and Anna stared at her in surprise. She grimaced. "What I mean is, Anna is Queen now. There isn't need for an heir on your part. Doesn't this guy know that?"

"Our neighbors are aware of Elsa passing the throne to me, yes." Anna assumed a more mature demeanor. "But they don't know the real reason why. We decided to keep the spirits and The Enchanted Forest a secret for now. But-"

She was interrupted by Elsa, who shoved her chair away as she stood. Her hands were placed firmly on the table as she stood still. Everyone grew silent. "It's my duty as the eldest to carry on our lineage. No longer being queen doesn't change the fact that I'm royal." Her footsteps echoed in the silent hall as Elsa pushed the doors open and left.

Anna gestured wildly to express her pure frustration. "Elsa, wait!" she yelled, giving chase.

The next morning, Marie had woken up to Anna shaking her, spewing something about the surprise she had wanted to show the foreigner before. Marie followed the queen out into the town, the morning sun warming the stone streets. Anna waved at passing citizens, her greenish-blue eyes turning to the woman behind her. "Sounds like you and my sister had a good trip."

Marie waved back to a family who recognized her. "Honestly, I was worried about it affecting the spirits, but they seemed to be okay." Her hands folded behind her back. "They sure put up a fight, though." She sighed. Marie had walked by Elsa's room the night before and had heard her and Anna talking in hushed tones. She squeezed her hands. "So this Dominic guy…When's he coming?"

"Today." Anna kept her gaze forward. "We're almost there!" Marie looked ahead to see Kristoff, Sven and Olaf waiting for them in front of an old wooden building. The queen flicked her light green dress as she faced Marie, her eyes glistening with excitement. "Surprise!"

The gang watched Marie. She blinked. "Um…what is it?"

"A school!" Olaf exclaimed. Sven bayed.

Marie grunted. "What?"

"Our English and Writing teacher, Mrs. Helgeson, needs an assistant!" Anna bounced eagerly. "You'd be working with kids who need help learning how to write! And you could do arts and crafts!"

"Only if you want to," said Kristoff.

"Exactly," said Anna.

"And it's only part-time," said Kristoff.

"And you can stay in the loft above for free!" said Anna.

"And work with children," said Olaf.

"And put on plays!" said Anna.

"Only if you want to," said Kristoff.

"Which you should," said Olaf.

"So?" Anna pressed her palms together. "What do you think? Want to become Arendelle's assistant teacher while you're here?"

They waited for Marie to respond. The brunette stood for a few moments. She took in a deep breath. Her hand pushed open the creaky front door. Dust flew into her nostrils as light shone in. A half dozen rows of wooden chairs and desks were aligned neatly toward a podium. A chalkboard hugged the entire wall perpendicular to the door as a flight of stairs hovered over a storage room in the back. Marie eyed the inside. "One condition. You guys have to help me clean up."

Anna was afraid of Marie's reaction. She knew that the woman had a difficult past, but also was not one who could be forced into anything she did not want to do. Her stubbornness often clashed with the queen's sister, but as Marie faced them, all of Anna's anxiety vanished. A soft expression overcame Marie's face, and she smiled warmly. Her eyes were no longer haunted with fear or calamity, rather they shone with a newfound sense of maturity. The redhead pushed up her sleeves. "Let's get started."

Marie wiped off her sweaty brow and huffed. Olaf rode Sven as the two swept up cobwebs around the classroom. Anna clapped two chalkboard erasers together, a white puff of dust clouding her upper body. A high-pitched sneeze followed. Kristoff nudged a sticky window and shook his head fondly in response. Marie ran her fingers along the wooden podium. Her, a teacher's assistant? Chemicals flooded her brain in response to her anxiety, and she had to clench her fist to steady herself. Ever since her arrival to Arendelle, she had gone without her medications for depression, anxiety and PTSD. Although not dependent on them, her brain was still processing the lack of stability they provided. She shook her head. The darkness had taken advantage of that instability after Ahtohallan.

"Knock, knock!" The group looked towards the door to see a familiar redhead with a young child. An instant smile covered Marie's face.

"Meghan! Wendy!" They ran up to her and embraced. Marie squeezed them. "What are you doing here? Wait, don't tell me." She tapped Wendy on the nose. "You two knew about the surprise, didn't you?"

"All of us did!" Meghan went to the doorway and looked outside. To Marie's surprise, she waved her arm, her eyes locked on to someone, or something, in the distance. "They're here!" Little footsteps neared the schoolhouse before it became flooded with several children of all ages.

Anna coughed out white powder. "Meet some of your students," she said cheerfully.

The diversity of Arendelle amazed Marie, and the students were no different. Having come from a small town in northern Minnesota, Marie was not used to much racial and ethnic diversity, but Arendelle had opened their borders back up after Elsa took the throne. The brunette crossed her arms, but her facial expression was warm and gentle. "So, tell me; are there any secrets about this building that I should know?"

The hand of a grade schooler shot up right away. "There's a ghost that knocks over the chalk!"

Nervous whispers scattered across the small group. "Huh." Marie held up a hand. The children jumped when darkness swelled between her fingers. She grinned confidently. "I'm not too worried." The darkness fizzled out. "Anything else?"

"We used to do summer plays before Mrs. Helgeson got sick," said a young teenage boy. Marie recognized him as a helper from one of the first days she had arrived. "There's a chest full of costumes behind the stairs."

"Really?" A glimmer ran across Marie's eyes. "Show me!" The children buzzed with excitement as they moved in a swarm towards the stairs.

Kristoff sauntered over to the doorway, his brown eyes gazing out into the fjord. His face fell. "Anna."

She rushed over, taking advantage of the mild chaos. "Great," she muttered. "We'll be by the docks," she called to Marie. "Our guests have arrived."

Marie nodded over the crowd of bubbling children. "Where's Elsa?"

Olaf and Sven headed for the door. "She's already out there," Olaf chimed. "She must really be excited to see her potential spouse." Marie nearly tripped over a child.

"I'll be back as soon as I can!" Anna reassured, backing out. "And ignore Olaf. He doesn't know what he's talking about." Before Marie could respond, the queen shot out of the doorway, her fiancé not far behind. An exasperated sigh escaped Marie.

"Let's crack this open," she said. With a slight kick, she pushed the wooden chest open, revealing old fashioned costumes and masks underneath. Some of the children marveled at the sight audibly. A silver tint caught Marie's eye. "Whoa!" Reaching a hand in, she grasped onto the iron piece and pulled. The clanking of the helmet filled the small space where everyone was crouched.

George, the young teenager, let out a whistle. "That's an old Arendellian soldier's helmet," he said quietly.

"Seriously?" Marie gawked at it. She rummaged through the chest and pulled out more iron pieces. "It's an entire set!" The armor was iron, slightly aged yet still strong. It was light and dusty. Marie's fingers wiped some of the dust off the chest plate, which looked as though it could fit a small man. The chain skirt rattled as she surveyed it. "How old do you think this is?"

"Maybe fifty years?" piped up a middle schooler.

She peered at the helmet. The eye slits were tinted with a smooth silver, and the bottom left room for the jaw to be exposed for additional armor or clothing. Two parallel designs ran up past the ears, giving it a quick yet durable aesthetic. "I've always wanted to wear a knight's suit!"

"Try it on!" Meghan nearly yelled. A chorus of agreement rose in pitch.

"All right, all right! Calm down!" Marie laughed. "I'm not sure it'll fit me." The mood began to die. "Okay, fine!"

Outside, Elsa gripped her hands in front of her, her dark peach dress blowing softly in the breeze. A few fishermen stopped to gawk at the docked ship. Her blue eyes wandered over to the schoolhouse, which was nestled near the coastline. Elsa had slept in after Anna and she had talked all night. Her sister waited near the docks to greet their kingdom's guests. _"Arendelle has been hit hard because of the darkness,"_ her sister had said to her. _"Now that Dominic is Duke of Westleton, he's agreed to meet with the council about opening up trade. All he asked is if you would be here during his stay."_

Elsa's shoulders tensed. _It never works that way,_ she thought, watching as people began to depart the ship. A tall young man with wide shoulders and smooth brown hair made his way over to Anna. With a heavy sigh, Elsa started for them.

"I can assure you; Arendelle is well protected," she heard Anna say. "It's lovely-"

"Elsa." Dominic nudged Anna aside when his brown eyes landed on her older sister. He confidently reached for her hand and kissed it softly. "Beautiful as always."

She pulled away but smiled cordially. "Thank you. I'm glad you and your staff made it safely." A cheerful face popped out from behind him. "Hello, Daniel."

"Hi!" Daniel was around the same age as Anna while Dominic was in his late twenties. The olive-skinned optimist had been his guard as long as Elsa could remember. He flashed a brilliant white smile.

"I'm sure you're eager to rest after your long journey," Anna piped, jumping in between them. Dominic raised his chin but remained silent. As they conversed, Elsa found her thoughts wandering. Did Marie like her surprise? She glanced over at the school once more. A small group of children huddled around an adult in an old Arendellian soldier's armor. The armor was for a male, but it did not take Elsa long to recognize Marie's stance and defined jawline poking out from under the helm. A couple children caught her staring and pulled Marie over, their giggles sounding in the air. Elsa glanced quickly at the group behind her before trotting over.

"Hey! Erm, I mean…" Marie cleared her throat and stood straight. "Hello, Your Highness." Her voice lowered and she bowed, a cheeky grin covering the exposed part of her face.

Elsa giggled loudly and put a hand over her mouth to stifle herself. She curtsied back. "And what is your name, Good Sir?"

"My mother told me once that if I were born a boy, my name would be Ian." Marie waved a hand before bowing again. The children laughed.

"Sir Ian." Elsa curtsied once more, indulging in the children's joy. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Marie swept up Elsa's hand in her own and held it gently. "The pleasure is mine." Elsa could not help but gaze fondly at her. Although Dominic had just kissed the same hand, she felt nothing. All Marie had to do was hold it, and it was enough to make Elsa's heart race. She relaxed her hand in Marie's.

_I want to be alone with you._ Elsa looked in her eyes. _More than I should._

Their hands broke apart as Marie reached for her helmet. "Oofda, it's hot up in here."

"We're about to go up to the castle." Elsa flinched as a male voice spoke next to her. Dominic stepped up the stone street's incline, his hands rubbing together smoothly. His eyes glared at Marie and the group of children. "Friends of yours?" Marie gave a quick nod to Meghan, who ushered the children back to the schoolhouse without hesitation. She pulled back her lips in a frown. Elsa let out a startled grunt as a hand ran down her back. "You're looking rather red," Dominic said coolly, leaning in to speak in her ear. He peered at Marie while his lips neared her skin. "Famished?"

A knuckle cracked as Marie clenched her fists. She took a step forward and held out her hand to Elsa, who took it. The royal turned her head to face him but kept her body turned toward Marie. Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as another breeze blew past them. "I thank you for your concern, but it is unwarranted and unnecessary." Marie bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

"I see." Dominic put his hands behind his back and chuckled. "It will not happen again, Your Highness. I did not know you preferred the company of…feminine men."

Both women exchanged confused glances. Elsa let out a sudden exhale and smiled. "Oh, _Sir_ Ian," she realized. "That-"

"WAS super nice of him to swing by and say hello to the children! Wasn't it, Sir Ian?" Anna sauntered up to them with a poignant smile that Elsa immediately saw through. She felt a pit drop in her stomach. The sisters glanced at each other, and Anna's eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

"It was." Marie widened her shoulders and nodded curtly. "I enjoy my time with them." Her and Anna smiled at each other, trying to avoid the sudden cold seeping from Elsa. _We're screwed,_ she thought nervously.

"Have you two met?" Anna took a step back and gestured. "Dominic, this is Ian. He trained here in Arendelle to be a knight for a couple years before travelling to…America."

Behind them, Kristoff carried Olaf away from the small group as the snowman opened his mouth. Dominic shifted his weight. "You're slim for a knight."

Marie jutted out her jaw. "I'm not yet twenty," she replied smoothly, taking on a low tone.

"I see." The man crossed his arms and scoffed. His hand ran over his mouth and set on his chin. His demeanor was arrogant yet sophisticated and calm, something that both impressed Marie and disgusted her. "Tell me. I couldn't help but notice how comfortable you are with Her Majesty." Elsa stiffened. "Are you lovers?"


	14. Chapter 13

The doors of Elsa's old bedroom burst open as she slammed her way in, her path leaving a small icy trail. Anna rushed after her, nearly slipping. "Elsa-" She was silenced by Elsa holding up her hand. The queen inhaled and waved her hands around. "I panicked!"

Marie slinked inside the room like a scorned child, still dressed in the armor. Kristoff was keeping Olaf occupied in the hall. Dominic and his crew had settled in the castle and were currently bathing from their trip on the seas. Footsteps padded across the floor as Elsa paced. "You've gone too far this time, Anna. It was bad enough that you said he could court me, but now I have to pretend to be in love with someone who doesn't exist?" Marie jumped as Elsa's blue eyes pierced into her. "And what do you have to say about this?"

The brunette took off the old guard helmet. "Uh…"

"She was just following along with what I was saying, Elsa." Anna took a step forward. "Don't blame her."

Elsa clenched her hands together but went quiet. What was Anna thinking? It was obvious that Dominic did not believe their story, but her sister had been persistent in telling it. Ian and Elsa were romantic interests who were new to each other, with Ian coming to visit a few times a week when he had time. A strand of hair fell in front of Elsa's face as she stared at the floor. Marie had gone along with it. "Sort this out and fill me in later. The preparations are yours to deal with."

Anna reached out a hand. "Elsa…" Her sibling turned away. The ginger faltered. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?" Elsa's fingers dug into her arms as she listened to Anna leave the room. She heard the hesitation flood off Marie. The royal felt she could drown in it.

"Um…" Elsa cast a glance over her shoulder as Marie spoke. The foreigner stared at the old, iron helm in her hands. "I guess I should put this back on for now." Her face twisted into a frown. "I do think you should talk to your sister, though. Make some sort of plan, even if you're angry." The royal sucked in a breath. Marie's outspokenness both irritated and thrilled her, to which she found harder to hold her reactions back. "Whatever you two decide, just know…I realize that I don't know the guy well enough yet, but you seemed really unhappy around him. So, if there's anything I can do to help, I will." Elsa felt her chest lurch when Marie started for the door. Ice began to form on her palms as she reached for her, and she withdrew them in haste. Marie eyed Elsa and faced her. "Are you okay?"

The royal's blue eyes stared at her own hands widely. She lowered them, but not without shaking. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now," she said softly. A hand drifted to her chest as her cheeks flushed. "Wh-when we…kissed…" Elsa's eyes flickered from the floor to Marie, who had suddenly grown very still. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, of course not." A gasp escaped Elsa as Marie came in close to her. The iron from the suit she wore scraped lightly against Elsa's dress, and their eyes met. "You never hurt me. I mean, it was chilly." They both chuckled quietly. Elsa shook her head at Marie's attempt to lighten the mood. She gazed down at the foreigner's hand, lifting her own. It hovered over Marie's warm skin before pulling back slightly. Marie turned her palm so it faced the blonde's lingering, shy hand. "I know you're scared of hurting me, but you won't, Elsa." Her fingertips grazed Elsa's palm. "Even if you did, it wouldn't have changed anything."

Elsa shied away and curled her fingers in. "Wouldn't have changed anything? Like wanting to help me not be afraid?"

Marie let out a frustrated grunt. She snatched Elsa's hand and placed it on her upper chest, nervously holding it there over the armor. Elsa grew still. The memory of her fingers drifting under the collar of Marie's shirt flooded them both, and Elsa found her hand relaxing and spreading out over the armor. Marie gripped her. "I didn't want you to stop," she breathed.

Every inch of Elsa trembled. She suddenly became very aware of her tingling lips, her burning skin, and her racing heart. Her breath came heavily and washed over Marie, who hung onto her as though she never wanted to let go. During the last week, Elsa had tried convincing herself that what she felt was fleeting. But as Marie calmed the storm that whirled inside her mind yet set her body on fire, she questioned herself. Elsa's other hand drifted up to Marie's lower neck and spread across her collar bone. "Didn't?" she repeated softly.

Marie suddenly gasped and pulled away. "Shit, I'm sorry." It took Elsa a moment to compose herself, but when she did, she found herself wanting to pull Marie back to her. The brunette stared at the floor, her face flushed. "You're being courted by someone else. And we're both…"

Elsa's hands rested on her chest. "We're both what?"

The foreigner's hands shook. "We're both women."

"Does that matter?" Anger surged within Elsa as she took a step forward. "I thought your first love was your best friend!"

"And I was shamed for it!" Marie shouted. Elsa stopped. The foreigner gritted her teeth and turned away, but not before Elsa could make out tears forming in her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't understand?" Elsa repeated. "I was locked away for thirteen years because of something I couldn't control and that wasn't my fault. I understand better than anyone!" Instant guilt formed on Marie's face. Elsa reached for her. "Why can't you let yourself do the same?"

"I don't know." It was a whisper, a painful, traumatized whisper. Elsa's breath shook. Marie shook her head, attempting to clear herself from any emotion. "D-don't worry about me. I'll be alright." Elsa started for her as Marie headed for the door, but the blonde was not fast enough. The door shut softly in her face, leaving Elsa on the other side.

A sigh escaped Anna. She stared out a window in the dining room, her reflection twisted from the rain pattering the castle outside. Her hair was pulled back in a neat braided bun, and her dark green dress weighed heavily on her body. Behind her, she watched in the reflection of the glass as her sister sat on the right side of Anna's chair. Elsa cast a glance towards her before looking away. A gentle presence approached on her left. "Anna?"

The ginger turned towards her fiancé. "You look handsome," she said with a smile. Kristoff ran a hand over his smoothed hair and chuckled. Her smile faded. "Is she almost ready?"

"I think you mean "he"." The engaged couple looked to the source of the voice. Anna gasped. It was Marie. She was now dressed in a modern soldier's suit built for a tall young man, and she sported a short, dark blonde wig. Anna had sent the castle's cosmetologist to her to prepare her for the first dinner with their guests, and they did not disappoint. Marie's chin and cheeks were darkened to make it appear she had faint facial hair, and the wig was neatly combed and parted on the right. Marie bowed, her shoulders widened by the armor. "Destin gave me some tips on how to act like a man," she said in a lowered tone.

Anna curtsied back. "I'm impressed!" She nudged Marie on the shoulder. "Have you considered cutting your hair for real?"

"What a funny joke," Marie seethed. Anna looked over at her sister. Elsa was staring at Marie with a gaping mouth, something Anna had seen her do only a handful of times in her life. A devious smile covered Anna's lips as her sister looked at her. Anna motioned at Marie, her eyebrows raising. Elsa rose from her chair quickly, nearly knocking over her wine glass. She rested her hands in front of her hips and walked over slowly, her blue eyes never leaving Marie. Another nudge landed on Marie's shoulder.

"Stand tall, and walk with your shoulders, not hips. Try to keep a level expression; guards keep a level-head," Anna instructed, leaning over to speak in Marie's ear. "Especially in times of _duress_."

Marie's cheeks were a bright red. "I didn't realize this was such a formal event," she muttered cutely. Elsa was dressed in a lavender colored dress that was adorned with her ice magic on the side. It curved up her side in a way that would catch anyone's attention, and her hair was free flowing. Anna inwardly praised herself for picking out the outfit.

"Act couply now. Shouldn't be hard." Anna walked away before Marie could respond. Elsa rolled her eyes but blushed.

"Right." Marie cleared her throat as Elsa approached. The royal stopped a foot away from her, her brilliant blue eyes fixated on her. She reached out a hand, which was surprisingly still. "You look lovely," she said quietly.

Elsa set her hand in Marie's, which was clothed in a light layer of leather. Her fingers grazed over her palm before settling. "I'm sorry if I was too abrasive earlier," Elsa said.

"It's okay." She looked up at the foreigner. Marie rubbed the top of Elsa's hand with her thumb. "I need to be scolded sometimes, anyway."

A chuckle came from Elsa. "Yes, you do." They looked at one another for a few seconds before tearing their gazes away. Marie lifted her hand slightly.

"So, should I kiss it or-?"

"Yes." Elsa's face lit up tremendously at her own quick response. "I-I mean…" She cleared her throat and stood up straight, lifting her chin up. "It would be most welcomed."

Marie leaned down and pressed her lips against Elsa's hand. The tip of her nose touched her skin, and Marie pulled away, her lips making a puckering sound. "Guess what I-?" She grew silent. Elsa stared at her with slightly watery eyes and a deeply flushed face. Marie grunted nervously, her heart lurching in her chest. "…f-found…"

Elsa moved her hand to her chest, feeling the place where Marie's lips had been. "Wh-what did you find?" she asked, her eyes flickering to and from Marie's face.

Heat wafted from Marie. She bit her top lip to stop the feeling. "I was looking through my jacket pockets and found my phone and headphones! And it wasn't dead or fried from crossing through, although there isn't any service here." Utter confusion covered Elsa's face. "Uh…There's music stored on the device I have, and there's enough energy left in it to listen to some songs I have downloaded on there."

"Head…phones?" Elsa pondered, playing with her hair. "As in phonetics? Is that one of the devices that is used for communication you told me about in the tent?" Marie had shared many stories from her world with Elsa during their stay with the Northuldra.

"Yeah!" Marie's childness began to show through as her voice raised in tone. "Sound travels through them and you can listen to it. They go in your ears." Elsa touched her ears in caution. Marie laughed. "Not _inside_ them! They just rest right here," she explained, sticking her pinky fingertip in her own ear.

"You'll have to show me later tonight," Elsa half commanded, and half implored. "And I can continue reading _Within_, if you'd like."

A joyous smile spread across Marie's face, automatically lightening Elsa's mood. "Yes! We're on chapter eight!" The woman stood up straight, taking on a more serious expression. "Ahem. I mean, we're on chapter eight," she repeated in her lower tone. Elsa snorted.

Suddenly the doors of the dining hall swung open. Everyone's attention was caught by the person who strolled in slowly. Dominic wore a white shirt and vest with a long red robe that drug on the floor. His guard, Daniel, followed. He was dressed in a black suit. Dominic stopped a few feet in, his eyes running over the small crowd of royalty and nosy staff. Soon, his eyes landed on Marie and Elsa. For Marie, a man who physically imposed or intimidated her made her automatically widen her shoulders and grit her teeth, and as Dominic's gaze ran over Elsa like a slow, compacted elevator, Marie found herself reacting like so. She exhaled slowly. _Whoa,_ she thought to herself. _I'm just angry because I recognize that look. _Her mind wandered to the many gazes she had gotten from not only men, but women as well, simply because she decided to dress in shorts that day. The attention was not what bothered Marie; it was the action she knew was coming after.

"I must say," Dominic said smoothly, bowing slightly. "These past few years have been extremely well to you, Elsa." His mouth curled up into a smile as he looked her up and down once more. Marie narrowed her eyes. Dominic stood up straight in response. "Sir Ian." He strolled over to them. "I don't believe our first meeting was on the best of terms." Dominic extended a hand.

Marie took it, trying to imitate the way she had felt her stepfather shake her hand once. "It's nice to match a face to the name," she replied lowly. Anna moved Dominic to the table as she approached to greet him. Marie listened to their casual conversation as she pulled a chair out for Elsa, keeping watch on Dominic's body language. He sat at the end of the long table with an elbow propped while he stroked his chin. His head nodded slowly as Anna made pleasant conversation, but he stopped moving whenever Elsa would speak. A pit formed in her stomach. _They're just talking._ Marie swallowed a dry lump in her throat. _Why do I feel so uneasy?_ A gentle hand rested on her armored forearm. Elsa's gaze washed over her in worry, but Marie simply shook her head.

"So, Ian," Dominic's voice landed on Marie. "What part of America did you go to?" A wine glass covered his lips, but not before Marie saw them curl into a smile.

"Georgia," she answered quickly. "Have you been?"

"I can't say I have." Dominic set his glass down. "Brave of you to venture in such a civilly disputed area." His finger traced the rim of the glass. "Must have been hard for someone like you."

"After the meal, why don't we start looking at some of those trade policies?" Anna asked cordially but firmly. Kristoff bit into biscuit silently. "Unless the journey has exhausted you."

A loud sneeze erupted from Daniel. Dominic sat up smugly as his guard wiped his nose sheepishly. "Sorry! Ugh…The pollen is insane here."

Elsa chuckled. "A steam bath will help your allergies, Daniel," she said to him. He nodded.

"I assure you, Your Majesty, I am of good health. The seas failed to shake us." Absolute silence spread across the room. Dominic closed his eyes. "I apologize. That wording was not intended to mock anyone."

Marie felt a wave of emotion from Elsa hit her immensely. "Fucking asshole," she breathed through unmoving lips.

"If memory serves me, Arendelle can be reached by mountain trails from Westleton." Elsa's eyebrow twitched as she cast a glance at their guest.

Dominic leaned back. "Yes, it can."

Her posture was both proper yet graceful. "Then my sister's hospitality should not be met with such pompous since there was a way of travel that is nearly twice as short and twice as efficient with the size of your party, unless horseback proves to be too arduous." Elsa picked up her glass of wine. "My apologies. My words were not intended to _mock_ anyone."

The only sound that filled the hall was the crackling of the fire, and Marie felt as though it was shooting through her. She looked at Elsa in awe. The blonde sipped her wine, waiting for Dominic's response with no expression. Marie felt her heart flutter like a child. A boisterous laugh filled the room. Anna jumped in her seat as Dominic continued to bellow. Kristoff and Daniel exchanged glances. Dominic leaned forward with a smile. "I missed you."

Another knot twisted in Marie's gut. She slammed a fist onto the table, unable to distinguish between her emotion and discomfort. "Would you _lay off_?" she hissed quietly.

Elsa's chair scraped across the floor as she stood. "You're as pale as a ghost." Her hands gripped Marie's chest and back to steady her. "Maybe you should lie down."

"Transitioning must have been more taxing than you expected," Dominic commented.

"Excuse us, Dominic," Anna said, standing to help her sister. "Ian is still adjusting from the time zone transition." Marie was dragged out of the hall by the sisters. Anna shook her head to order Kristoff to stay. As soon as the hall doors were closed, relief flooded Marie, and she breathed in heavily. The sisters released her. "Are you all right?"

Shame began to suffocate Marie, but her pride kept it at bay. "I don't know," she admitted.

Anna sucked in a breath, but exhaled with a huff. "Look, if this is going to be too hard, you don't have to do it."

"I'm doing this." Complete certainty enveloped Marie. Her eyes pierced into Anna's. "I know there's not a lot you can tell me since I'm new and I'm not involved with Arendelle's politics." She took a step forward, her armor scraping together briefly. "But I've been reading up on Arendelle's law books in the library. That decree named after…some guy's name I can't pronounce states that trade policies must be renewed whenever someone new is put on the throne. That's why they all showed up to Elsa's coronation, and that's why they're probably going to show up for your wedding." Anna and Elsa exchanged surprised glances. "I get it. You couldn't tell me. I understand. And…it's just an observation, but…" Marie scratched her scalp through the wig. "He basically admitted to having a stronger naval system versus land. I didn't catch where Westleton is, but isn't that type of information useful to outside kingdoms?"

Elsa smirked. "I'll do it, too."

"Wait, what?" Anna blurted.

"I don't need a partner to prove anything to anyone, especially Dominic, but I'll admit…" Elsa smiled at Marie. "Having one will have its benefits."

Anna waved her hands around in quiet frustration. "This is literally what we talked about last night!" she hissed.

"I know, I'm sorry!" Elsa said. "But look on the bright side." She nudged her sister lightly. "We might be able to get rid of him faster."

A groan came out of the ginger. "That would be _amazing_!"

Elsa closed the door to the guest room and sighed happily. The sun had set, and her day had ended with her reading another chapter of _Within_ to Marie. She gripped the book tightly in her hands. They had started it during their stay with the Northuldra, and Marie did not hold back her opinions of the book's plot compared to her own life. A lot of elements, much like the movies Marie spoke of, were full of fantasy and dialed down tragedies. Elsa had not even finished the chapter due to Marie's constant playful criticism. _It's no wonder why she was tense throughout this chapter, though,_ Elsa thought to herself as she walked quietly down the castle hallway. _It deals with her old best friend, Grace. _Her footsteps came to a halt, and she stood still. _I was hoping she wasn't real._

"Good evening."

Elsa nearly froze her book solid at the familiar voice. "Dominic," she said in exasperation. "Why are you on this side of the castle?"

The trim young man rested his weight on his leg that stood on an upper stair. His eyes gazed outside. "The dark is peaceful." Elsa blinked. For once, his tone was not arrogant. He looked at the book in her hands. "_Within_. Your favorite. You always raved about Marie when we were children." He chuckled at her flushed face. "What chapter are you on?"

She clutched the book tighter to her chest. "Eight."

"Ah, the one with Grace." Dominic put his hands in his pants pockets before continuing up the stairs. Elsa moved aside. "I always thought she was literal grace but turns out she was a real person all along." He paused on a stair level to her height and stared at her from the side. "Torturous, to pretend to be someone you're not around someone you wish to be yourself with. Don't you think?"

Elsa felt as though her nails were going to pierce through the leather cover. "They didn't know how they felt about each other yet. They were young."

Dominic reached the top of the stairs and tilted his head back. "Oh, no, Elsa. They were _stuck._" What felt like a jolt shot through her chest. Elsa stared at the floor. Dominic waved. "See you tomorrow." Around the corner of the castle walls, a dark-skinned soldier hid in the shadows. He could only watch with a downcast face as Her Majesty finally realized that what was written in the pages of her cherished book were not just fairytales.


	15. Chapter 14

The sun beat down on Willis's back as he tended to his garden. He groaned and stood up, stretching his muscles. His grandchildren pulled weeds below him. "Yuri, be careful not to mix up the parsley with the weeds," he commented. The little girl frowned and reached for a pig weed. Suddenly its roots shot up from the dirt, darkness wrapping around it. Willis automatically swatted the possessed plant with a hoe. "Yuri! Run!"

"Wh-what is that?!" His grandson, Haru, exclaimed, grabbing his sister and running. They all gasped as the plant twisted and shriveled in midair and the darkness shot from it, having drained it of life.

"Hey!" Willis guarded his parsley as the dark mass snaked its way towards it. "Leave my garden alone!"

An icicle pierced the darkness. It flung into a nearby squash plant. Elsa checked the children. "Are you all right?" she asked gently. They nodded. "Mister Rigatoni, are you okay?"

The squash plant struck the hoe out of the Italian man's hand. The sound of the roots ripping out of the ground made Elsa shiver. A yell shot through the air. Marie swung the hoe and knocked the dark plant down. She offered it back to Willis. "Parsley grows fast, anyway." The plant whipped several vines at her. Marie blocked with the hoe, grunting in effort as she was pushed back. Beads of sweat ran down her worn face. Elsa pointed a hand at the plant and froze it solid. Vines that had wrapped around Marie snapped into frozen pieces to the ground. Marie stumbled, shaking off the rest.

Elsa neared her, her icy hands at the ready. "It seemed to be targeting you," she commented, looking to the sky for any remaining dark power.

Marie brushed her arm off. "No kidding."

A flicker of concern ignited in Elsa's chest. "Why didn't you use your magic?"

Marie blinked rapidly. "It all happened too fast," she said. Elsa eyed her but said nothing. The two women lowered their hands in dismissal when the darkness did not make a reappearance. Elsa could not help but sigh in relief. The darkness had struck three times that day, and although its possessions were not too dangerous, they had all been in Arendelle. She watched Marie greet the children, Willis coming to her side.

"Thank you, Your Highness," he said, picking up the hoe. "But may I ask if you can move aside? You're standing on some parsley." Elsa moved aside and rolled her eyes fondly.

"Elsa!" A head full of red hair rounded the corner, and Elsa was taken aback by her sister's sudden embrace. "Someone saw from the road and told us. We came right away. Are you hurt?"

The blonde squeezed her sibling's hands. "I'm all right," she reassured.

A giggle sounded around them while Olaf jumped off Sven's back. "You look worse for wear," he stated, flicking a vine off Marie.

She smiled. "You could say I nearly got _squashed._" Olaf wheezed and fell backward in the dirt. Kristoff shook his head while Sven grunted. A quiet snort escaped Elsa. She quickly hid her face from Marie, feeling herself turn red.

"Impressive showmanship." A pair of wide shoulders came around the house. Dominic pulled his hands behind his back and looked around the backyard. Elsa's demeanor immediately changed.

"Get out of my garden!" Willis suddenly yelled. The group flinched but obeyed, double checking for any injuries on the Rigatonis. They started for the castle, idle conversation buzzing among them. A gentle breeze blew by, tossing Elsa's hair along with it. She breathed in deeply. Her fingers grasped at the invisible reins on The Nokk, her mind replaying the memory. The hum of the rock giants and the whistle of Gale echoed inside of her, and she could not help but smile.

_I belong in the Forest, not here,_ she thought, bringing a hand to her chest. Elsa sucked in a breath, her head turning to the side and her eyes landing on Marie. _But…_ Her lips rose into another small smile when Marie conversed happily with her family. _I don't want to be alone._

"Is Ian visiting you today?" Dominic asked, coming up on her left.

The group went silent, and Elsa could not help but glance at Marie once more. "Yes," she replied. Her posture straightened. "He told me he had something special planned today." Her heart fluttered inside of her chest, casting a glance at her sister and Marie. Anna wore a coy expression while Marie squinted in thought. Their eyes met. The sudden urge to be alone with Marie filled Elsa. It must have shown in her eyes, because Marie tore her gaze away to the ground in pure sheepishness. Elsa bit her lips to stop them from tingling.

"Ooh! What is it?" Olaf piped up. "A stroll on the beach? A walk through the garden? Maybe a love poem?" He looked at Sven. "All of the above?"

"I-it's a private matter," Elsa stammered. She tucked her hair behind her ear, turning red. "And we-! It's not-! I have to get ready!" The cape of her pink dress flapped in the wind as she whipped around and trudged toward the castle.

"Elsa, wait!" She groaned at the sound of her sister's voice calling to her. "Marie and I will help you!" Elsa gritted her teeth and turned to face them, nearly halfway across the bridge. The sight of Marie falling towards her caused Elsa to flinch, barely giving her enough time to catch her. Marie slammed into her, her breath catching right next to Elsa's ear. "Whoops! I tripped and accidentally pushed her!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa glared at her.

"Sorry," Marie said quietly. Her voice tremored in Elsa's ear as she pulled away. Their noses grazed.

Elsa gripped Marie's shoulders and helped her stand. "It's okay," she breathed. Her heart pounded at their closeness. They backed away from one another, leaving Elsa free to catch up to her sister. "You're _so_ gonna pay."

Anna giggled. "A bit flustered?" Elsa squeezed her hand in response, making Anna cringe in pain.

Clanking echoed throughout the red halls of the castle. Marie pulled the suit away from her neck, beads of sweat dripping down her body in uncomfortable places. "Damn, it's hot," she mumbled. A maid eyed her while sweeping. Marie smiled and dipped her head, to which the maid resumed in a hurry. _Do I really look that different?_ Only a few key members of the staff were told the truth about the situation, leaving the rest to gossip nonstop about Elsa's new lover. Her reflection caught her eye, and Marie stopped to double check her appearance. Rumors of Ian's age circulated heavily around the castle and town. Marie smoothed out the dark blonde wig with a frown. _I do not look like a teen,_ she thought grumpily. She crossed her arms and surveyed herself. _I don't even look that manly._

"Promise me that you'll be careful."

Marie instantly hid at the sound of Anna's voice. She peeked her head around the stone corner. Kristoff squeezed his fiancée's hands tenderly and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry about me. I know those woods like the back of my hand." He looked down at their fingers. "Oh, look. What's that?" Anna playfully smacked his shoulder but laughed. Marie lowered her gaze and pulled away. She had never seen Anna so concerned before. A tinge of jealousy flickered in Marie's chest, but not because of Kristoff and Anna themselves, rather their intimacy. "Besides, if anything happens, we have Gale Mail."

Marie snorted and slapped her hand over her mouth. Anna peered over Kristoff's shoulder. "I just hope I can make things right," she said quietly.

"If there's anything I know, it's that nothing can stop you, Anna." The sound of kissing met Marie's ears, and she departed quietly to give them privacy.

Elsa stood in the castle gardens, her hands clasped together and her heart racing. _I hope I didn't give Marie too much to handle,_ she thought to herself. Light whispering whisked by, and Elsa's eyes moved to one of the balcony hallways that lined the gardens. Two maids ducked behind the walls. Elsa sighed. That would make at least five staff members that were spying on them today. A sparrow landed on a nearby vine and fluffed its feathers. Elsa knew that most of the spying was done by Dominic's staff, but that did not stop some of Arendelle's to join in. The sparrow eyed something behind the royal, and Elsa listened as chirping came from the edge of the garden. Something light hit the back of Elsa's head. She turned around in surprise. A wadded piece of paper lay at her feet. She picked it up, but not before scanning the edge of the garden with a knowing smile.

Seven today. Also, Gale Mail is a thing?!

Elsa snorted. She stood on her toes and searched, bringing the note close to her chest fondly. Another note bounced off her hip, this time displaying an arrow pointing towards the west door. Elsa lowered the note and walked calmly, trying not to smile. A quiet, birdlike whistle sounded to her right as Elsa's feet met the stone floor. She glided towards the call and could not help but think of the siren's call. Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed her arm, pulling her in. Elsa gasped, but froze when a finger landed on her lips. Marie urged her to be quiet and glanced down the hallway. "Never mind, there's ten." She looked at Elsa, who was only a mere couple inches away from her. The shadows that hid them were being cast by two pillars, giving them only a small amount of space to hid in. "How long do you think it would take them to find us?"

"Ten? Hmm…" Elsa tapped her chin in thought. "Five to ten minutes? Depending on how well we hide."

"Well, let's give them something to gossip about." Marie pulled Elsa out into the hallway and started running. Elsa followed, her chest swelling like an excited child. She looked at their hands that were connected and smiled. They hid against a stone wall between the gardens and courtyard. It only took a few mere seconds for numerous assorted staff to rush down the stairs, whispering loudly amongst themselves.

"They went this way!"

"Shh! They'll hear us!"

"It's about time they did _something_. The tension was getting too high."

Elsa and Marie could not help but look at each other. Marie scoffed and tore her gaze away, but not before Elsa saw her face turn a bright red. "Do they really have nothing else to do?" she hissed.

Elsa poked her head out, seeing them hurry through the gardens. "Apparently not. Come on." She gripped Marie's hand and led her. For several minutes, they dodged the hunting staff, trying not to giggle. Elsa peered out into the hallway, her blue eyes scanning. Marie began walking out.

"Don't you find it strange?" A female voice sounded. Marie gasped as Elsa yanked her backward. Her armor clanked against the stone wall as Elsa pinned her. The royal stared intensely in the direction of the voice, trying to ignore her palms that shook against the iron armor. The shadows provided little space to hide. "Her Majesty never had an interest in dating, but now she's got _three_ people after her?" Elsa grew stiff. It felt as though her blood turned to cement in her veins. "Ian seems like a nice fellow, but she's stringing him along. And she's never liked Dominic. But poor Marie."

Marie flinched. Elsa could not bring herself to look up at her. "We should go," Elsa breathed.

"I know," another young woman replied. Their silhouettes crept across the small walkway that the two hid in. "It's obvious that Marie's in love with her, but she probably can't do anything about it since Her Majesty has other men."

Elsa sighed. "Just ignore-" She sucked in a breath. Marie was staring at the ground, a painful expression covering her face. "…them." The blonde moved her head to try catch her gaze. "Marie?"

Marie slinked out from the wall and began walking down the corridor. "You're right. We should go." She was never good at hiding her emotions, especially in her eyes. As Elsa stood, watching Marie fade into the dark, an all-encompassing urge shot throughout her body. She pushed it down. Every glance they shared, every accidental touch they had, Elsa kept shoving the ever-rising warmth back into her heart. She was the fifth spirit, after all. Her life would extend longer than anyone around her. But as Marie turned her head to glance back at her, Marie's eyes lured her in. Elsa found herself rushing towards her and grabbing Marie's shoulders. Marie gasped as she was slammed into the wall. "Wh-what are you-?"

The brunette trembled as Elsa set her forehead against Marie's. "Is it as obvious as they say?" Elsa breathed. Marie was immediately entranced. Elsa looked at her. "I want to hear it from you."

The royal drew closer. Marie felt her lips throb and twitch as Elsa neared them with her own. What felt like electricity was shooting throughout their entire bodies, which were pressed against each other in a way that enticed them even more. Marie felt helpless, but for once, she did not mind. Their lips were on the verge of touching, something Elsa was doing intentionally. She rubbed their foreheads together, her hands slipping up to Marie's neck and face. Marie trembled even more. "Me…or Ian?" The words were barely spoken. It was more like they were breathed onto Elsa's lips.

"You," Elsa replied softly. Her mouth hovered over Marie's. "It's always been you."

"I-…" Marie felt the outer skin of Elsa's bottom lip beginning to graze her own. Suddenly she pushed Elsa away. "I can't." Marie turned away and disappeared into the dark corridor. As the warmth of her body faded away, Elsa stared ahead at nothing, her eyes wide and her hand covering her still tingling lips.

A cheerful whistle broke through the large oak doors. Anna flinched, her concentration breaking. Dominic sighed. "Daniel, for the last time, quit interrupting us!"

The guard stopped dramatically mid step. "You're still playing? Sorry!"

Anna squinted at the chess set before her. Five days had passed since their guests' arrival, and it had been anything but simple. The queen and duke had spent many hours discussing trade policies between their kingdoms, seldom agreeing. Dominic bounced his leg rapidly. Anna watched for a moment before moving her bishop.

"Have you seen Marie?" Daniel asked innocently.

Dominic leaned back in his chair and sighed once more. Anna could not help but chuckle. "She's at the school," the ginger replied, straightening the discarded pawns to her left. "They don't get out for another two hours."

"Oh, okay." Anna watched as Daniel smoothed his vest out. Dominic lifted a finger to make a move. "Is she busy tonight?"

Dominic accidentally knocked over his queen. Anna covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "Why don't you go and _ask_ her?" Dominic seethed. "Ask her on that evening walk already."

"Yeah, okay, good luck with that," Anna muttered under her breath. Dominic narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean…Don't ask her in front of other people. She'll hate that." A tiny chuckle escaped Dominic.

"Right. Thank you!" Daniel turned in a circle, gathering his thoughts. "I will!" He departed the room in a hurry.

The doors clicked shut. "Poor guy," Anna said quietly.

"It'll pass. It always does." Dominic stretched his arms before turning his attention back to the board. The guards at the entrance glanced at each other as silence filled the room. Anna cleared her throat. He took in a deep breath. "Your sister seems…colder than usual."

"Was that a pun?" Anna shook her head. "Never mind. Yes, she does." She grunted in protest when Dominic knocked out her bishop. "You know she can get broody. Just be patient."

"I don't have the time to be patient," Dominic said. Anna grew motionless. He crossed his arms. "That came out a lot coarser than intended. My apologies."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "Are you feeling all right? You seem-" The door clicked open, and Elsa entered quietly. "Hey, Elsa!" Anna called happily.

Her sister gave her a small smile. Anna felt her chest fall. "Hello." The blonde hovered over the chess board, her blue eyes scanning. Her face soon grew into a confused expression.

"Daniel interrupted us," Dominic stated. He hesitated before taking out a pawn. "He went looking for Marie."

Elsa moved away, the cape of her ice blue dress dragging on the floor. "Did he?" she asked with no emotion. Before anyone could respond, she dipped her head. "Excuse me. I need to grab a drink." She departed for the kitchens. Anna stared after her.

"Checkmate," Dominic stated. Anna groaned.

"Make sure to work on prepositional phrases over the weekend!" A stern woman who stood nearly six feet tall barked at the group of students in front of her. The group eagerly packed up their belongings, sensing the tone in Mrs. Helgeson's voice. "Don't forget your papers under your desks!"

The middle school aged children always bolted first for the door. Marie beat them to it, smiling smugly at them. She gestured with her eyes to the old woman behind them. "Do we have to?" they moaned. Marie gestured firmly but gently. One by one, the students wished Mrs. Helgeson a good weekend. The batty woman reciprocated, unable to hide the twinkle in her eye. They filed out of the schoolhouse. "She's not here today, either!" a child voiced from outside. They ran up to Marie, who was seeing the rest of the students out. "Miss Marie, did you ask Elsa if she can come after school yet?"

Marie felt her stomach twist. "Oh. I keep forgetting. Sorry!" she smiled. They frowned and trudged away. She could only look after them with a heavy heart.

"Got any plans for the weekend?" Mrs. Helgeson asked. She slung on light coat despite the warm weather. Marie shook her head. "My husband is cooking tonight. So, if I don't show up Monday, take my position." The older woman smiled as she got a chuckle out of Marie. "Take care of yourself, dear." Marie nodded. She gathered some papers that needed grading in a satchel and swung it over her shoulder. As she locked the school, a familiar presence awaited her outside.

Marie blinked in surprise. "Dominic."

The man dipped his head. "Daniel is busy. He sent me to fetch you."

The same sinking, exhausting feeling that she always got around him crept throughout Marie's limbs. She smiled politely. "Thank you, but you don't have to trouble-"

"I wouldn't have come if I didn't wish to speak to you, as well," he interrupted. Marie clenched the strap of her black satchel but said nothing. They headed for the castle. Dominic pulled his hands behind his back. "No Ian today?" He smiled when Marie stopped in her tracks.

She scoffed. "Why would I know?" she spat. Her head began spinning.

Dominic followed her when she continued walking. "It's wearing you out, isn't it? The double act, the lying, pretending to act like a man when you are most definitely…a woman." He purposely dragged out the last words to catch her attention. "Tell me. Which of the rumors did you like best?"

Marie neared him so their faces were inches apart. "I liked the one where she likes you the _least_," she hissed. "Your ego is too big to have made that one up."

Dominic narrowed his eyes but smiled. "Careful. You wouldn't want to worry the townspeople, would you?" Marie eyed the small gathering of citizens around them. She backed away. "There are some who wouldn't like how close you and Her Majesty have gotten. It is most _unnatural_."

Her teeth grit together. "What do you even want?" She had never been this rude to someone who was nothing more than a stranger to her, but something about his demeanor made her skin crawl.

"She has a reputation, as does Anna. You of all people should know about keeping reputations. After all, isn't that why you're pushing her away?" Dominic could not help but feel satisfied at Marie's reaction. She was cornered, and she knew it.

"Do what you will," she said flatly. They were close to the castle now, so she let her body tense. "There isn't anything going on, and even if there was, the people of Arendelle wouldn't care."

He pulled a corner of his lips up. "So you thought before." Marie froze. "Rumors do spread like wildfire. But if that isn't enough to stop you…" He reached forward, pulling a trapped strand of her brown hair out from under the satchel's sling. "Then your own pride will wreck you. We're similar that way."

Elsa stood near a window in the castle, the moonlight basking her in its white light. _We haven't heard from Kristoff or Destin, yet,_ she thought to herself. Her fingers absentmindedly played with a seam on her white dress. _And Marie didn't show for dinner._ Her fingers grew still. Humming sounded behind her, and she turned to see Olaf padding down the hallway, his eyes staring up at the portraits on the walls. She gestured for a hug. "Hey, Olaf."

"Standing alone in the moonlight looking sad and depressed again?" The snowman hopped up on an end table. "I'll join you."

She chuckled. "What's wrong?"

He frowned. "I just finished reading a book and it did _not_ end well," he said in a low tone. "The main character ended up alone. Again."

"What kind of books are you reading?"

"I've been in a romantic mood lately, what with the crazy chemistry around here," he said.

Elsa gripped her arm. "Chemistry?" she asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, but my answer is still no." The feminine voice made Elsa suck in a breath. Her and Olaf turned to see Marie and Daniel coming up the stairs. It was the first time Elsa had seen Marie in two days, and it had felt like a lifetime. Marie looked gaunt and exhausted. She had an apologetic tone to her voice, but her facial expression was irritated. "It wouldn't work."

"I don't understand," Daniel pleaded innocently. "Does someone else call you yours?"

Elsa cringed while Olaf shook his head. "What a dumb thing to say," the snowman murmured.

Marie reached the top of the stairs and spotted them near the window. Elsa felt her chest flutter when they made eye contact. Marie looked as though she were about to cry, causing Elsa to start for her. The brunette withdrew. "Goodnight," she stated, going to the spare room and closing the door. Daniel sighed and sulked back down the stairs.

"Oh, now that's a depressing thought," Olaf said to himself. "It reminds me of the part in _Within_ after she pushes away Grace…"

Elsa flinched. "What did you say?"

"You know," Olaf took out an arm and itched his back. "The part when Marie pushes away the person she loves most to protect them from the evil forces at hand but also severs their connection by doing so." He closed his eyes. "It's tragic."

Elsa leaned down. "Olaf, why don't you go find Anna? Tell her she can have some of my chocolate when you find her." He gasped like a child and ran off. Elsa stood, her knees suddenly shaking. Taking in a deep breath, she walked over to the spare room and knocked.

"Daniel, please, go away! Good _Lord_," came Marie's voice.

"I-it's me." Elsa cleared her throat, surprised at her stutter.

Silence met her. "Come in." She obeyed. Marie stood up but did not meet her gaze. Her eyes were clouded over and dull. Elsa had never seen that look before, but she knew what it was.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked softly. She shut the door behind her. For a moment, Marie visibly broke down, but she expertly covered it up. "Did something happen?"

"I just haven't slept well lately," Marie replied. "There isn't an attack or anything, is there?"

"No," Elsa reassured. She squeezed her hands together. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something." She looked up. "What really happened… between you and Grace?"

To her surprise, Marie did not fire back. She only sat down at her desk and rubbed her eyes. "Nothing good." She supported her head on her hands. "I…fell in love with her. We were young, maybe fifteen, but I knew what it was." Her eyes flittered downward. "It was powerful. But I was scared. I saw how people treated my brother, and he hadn't even accepted who he was at that point. People got harassed and beaten up for it. And…I thought God hated me." Elsa's heart lurched as Marie scoffed. "It's so stupid, too. The God I know now wouldn't hate someone for that, but I was convinced it was true. So I chose Him over her. I chose the "right thing."" Marie leaned back. "The next two years, Grace shamed me for ever telling her. She was cruel and cold, nothing like the person I'd known before. The rest of our friends knew but said nothing. Because I didn't act on it and I was a devoted Christian, no one bothered me about it. Except her. I said some awful things to her." She paused. "After two years of being judged and ridiculed and bullied by her, I just snapped. I was sorry, but that was it. She's married now, and I'm happy for her. It was so long ago, but…There's a part of me that has been closed off for the last ten years. I thought I had to choose between what I always knew and how I felt. I've gotten so used to shutting people out, Elsa. Alone and blindly loyal."

Elsa looked down at the floor. So many questions burned within her, but one boiled to the surface. "Is that what you're doing now? Being blindly loyal?" Marie said nothing, but the shame on her face answered her. "Is that how you feel about me?"

Marie clenched her fists. "It's not like that," she hissed.

"Then what is it?" Elsa felt herself become slightly panicked. "Because I'm a royal, you feel like you have to obey me or my sister without thinking twice about it? Do you really think that low of us? We wouldn't do that to you!" Marie shook. Elsa set her hand on her chest to calm herself. "What happened to you was awful. I'm sorry. I felt that way, too, like I had to hide who I was or I'd hurt those I love. And it would have happened if I kept thinking that way. But it didn't because I accepted who I was." Elsa took a step forward. "You need to accept who you are."

"You make it sound so easy." Marie stood and faced her. "But you had someone who didn't give up on you. Someone who accepted you before you accepted yourself. Life doesn't _work_ that way! It's cruel, and selfish."

Elsa shook her head. "Not as cruel and selfish as you are to yourself." Marie's eyes widened. Elsa clutched her chest when it throbbed. "If you keep going on like this, you'll end up losing everyone who cares about you." She looked at Marie. "You'll end up losing me."

Tears formed in Marie's eyes. She trembled. Everything Elsa had said was true. She opened her mouth. A knock sounded on the door. "Marie? Are you in there?" Marie groaned as Daniel's voice met their ears. A dark feeling pricked at Elsa's heart.

"Does he stop by this late often?" she asked stiffly. Alarm spread throughout her at the tone of her voice.

"No!" Marie hissed. She approached the door. "One second!" She looked at Elsa, her eyes almost pleading. "What do I do?" she whispered.

"I can leave," Elsa whispered back.

"But I don't want to talk to him!" Marie hissed dramatically, gesturing to the door. "He's nice and all, but…" She exhaled slowly. "I just don't want to!"

"Want to go for a moonlit stroll?" Daniel squeaked on the other side. Marie gestured wildly but silently. Elsa clenched her fists together in front of her, her jealously rising. "It's so pretty out."

"Just say no," Elsa suggested, pushing down her guilt.

"I did!" Marie's innate politeness gnawed at her. Daniel was dense, but because he was not getting the point, it was causing Marie's mind to go to a darker place than what was real. Elsa noticed and took a step forward.

"Um…" She grew nervous. Marie looked at her. Elsa shook her head. "Do you want him to leave you alone for good?" Elsa asked.

Marie glanced at the door. "Don't kill him," she whispered.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Do you want him to or not?" Marie grew curious. Elsa's tone was different than usual. It was nervous, shy, yet tinged with what sounded like jealousy. Marie became a little flustered. She nodded. Elsa grabbed her hand. "Do you trust me?" she breathed.

Marie could not help but falter under her touch. She smiled. "With everything," she replied.

"Is someone in there with you?" Daniel asked.

The women looked at the door. Marie was about to respond, but Elsa grabbed her and drew her in. She could not hold it in any longer. The urge to be alone with Marie consumed Elsa. She held her from behind and wrapped her arms around Marie's slim waist. "Don't say anything," she ordered softly. She took a deep breath in, her head spinning faster than it ever had in her life. Her fingers found their way to Marie's collar and pulled down, exposing her left shoulder. Marie gasped. They pressed together. Elsa ran her tongue along Marie's shoulder to her ear, making sure to move slowly. Marie crumbled beneath her. Reaching her right hand forward, Elsa opened the door, but not without accidentally slamming their bodies against it first. Marie breathed heavily, her hands gripping Elsa's arm. Elsa moved Marie's hair aside to expose more of her long, thin neck. Her blue eyes pierced into Daniel. "We're a little busy," she said deeply.

Daniel's eyes shot wide open. "Y-Your Majesty! I-! Uh I didn't know you were here!" Marie refused to look at him. She had no desire to. Her eyes were glazed over, and her body was entranced. Wherever Elsa's hands moved, across her chest, over her hips, on her lower abdomen, Marie memorized. Daniel looked away. "I didn't know you and Marie were, um…"

Elsa was growing impatient. Marie could tell. She hungrily kissed her upper neck, enthralled when it caused her to whimper. "Whomever I decide to be with is none of your concern." Her hand moved over Marie's upper chest and squeezed, causing the woman to gasp yet again. "But in case you're wondering." A hot breath ran down Marie's neck. Elsa gripped her even tighter. "She's mine." Elsa grabbed the door and slammed it shut. Marie fell forward as Elsa released her, the brunette barely catching herself. Her entire body shook heavily. Elsa caught her breath, unable to take her eyes off her. Several seconds passed. A feeling of dread swept through Elsa. "Right. We can't… because we're both women." Marie froze in horror. Elsa's eyes began to swell. She opened the door.

"Elsa, wait!" Marie cried. She was too late. The door shut in her face, leaving Marie alone. She slunk to the floor, her body ignited. "Damn it," she breathed.


	16. Chapter 15

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

The morning rays shone through the castle windows, blinding the mess hall occupants in one eye as they ate. Anna sipped her tea quietly.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

"Did you know that the average dog is as smart as a three-year-old human?" Olaf inquired, looking around the table innocently.

"No, I did not," Anna replied. She drew her mug close to her face. _Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._ Her eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Marie, you okay over there?"

The woman jumped slightly when spoken to. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she said a little too quickly. Her appearance, although neat and tidy, was gaunt and pale. She gave the queen a reassuring smile. "I'm just having trouble with Monday's lesson plan."

"Ooh, can I help?" Anna moved near Marie and studied the paper in front of them. Olaf joined. She scrunched up her face when nothing but a blank slate met her eyes.

Olaf nodded his head. "I, too, struggle to find the perfect way to teach our future's bright adults." Marie let out a forced laugh.

The wooden doors opened slightly. Elsa slipped through, greeting the guards with a small bow. "Good morning."

Marie shot to her feet. She fiddled with the quill in her left hand. "M-morning."

Anna and Olaf exchanged glances. "Right." Anna stood up straight. "Good morning, Elsa. I heard Daniel's allergies were acting up again. Did you talk to him?"

Elsa clasped her hands in front of her. Marie sat down and stared out the window, absent mindedly rubbing the side of her neck. Elsa shook her head when she caught herself watching. "Y-yes, I spoke to him." She looked at Marie for a second. "Everything is fine now." Marie's eyes flitted to her in acknowledgment before tearing away again. As the morning passed, Dominic joined the small group for some leisurely reading. While Anna looked over some new documents, Elsa let her eyes wander. Dominic relaxed in a plush chair with a book in his hand, Olaf not far away. She shifted in her chair as her blue eyes made their way to Marie. Her brown hair was pulled back into a low bun and parted on the left. She wore the same outfit Elsa had made her the day after her arrival. It was almost painful to look at her. Nothing but the feeling of Marie's skin burned on the ice mage's own pale skin. Elsa gripped the book in her hands tightly.

Dominic let out a cough. Marie's eyes immediately shot to him and narrowed. Elsa turned a page but continued observing. Ever since Dominic had escorted Marie after her shift, the distain between the two had grown bigger. Dominic often asked about Marie and Ian while he and Elsa spent time together, often strolling through the castle grounds. Elsa kept her responses as simplistic as she could. Olaf let out a giggle as he read.

"_She's mine."_ Elsa inwardly chastised herself. Why had she said that? Her eyes flickered to Marie once again. The woman was rubbing her neck again. The blonde let herself stare longer than she should have, because Marie moved her gaze up from her school papers to the royal. Elsa quickly and sheepishly pretended to read, her heart pounding. _I shouldn't have said what I did,_ Elsa thought to herself. _But…_She moved her eyes to Marie. _I can't stop thinking about it._ She nearly flinched when she saw that Marie was staring openly at Elsa's exposed neck. As soon as they made eye contact, Marie turned a deep red and looked away. Elsa felt as though she was going to freeze the book in her hands.

"Marie, since you're so tall, can you get me the red book on the top shelf in the fifth aisle?" Olaf suddenly asked. He happily waved a newly finished book in his stick hands.

Anna sighed heavily. "Olaf, those are young adult books," she groaned.

"I need a break, anyway." Marie pushed herself up from the chair stiffly. Elsa forced herself to stare at the wooden table below her. The brunette made her way to the library, which was just in the other room. A few minutes passed before Elsa felt her chair being lightly kicked. Her sister micro motioned with her head towards the library door, her eyes failing to hide a mischievous glint. Elsa turned red.

"What's taking her so long?" Olaf piped up.

"I'll go!" Elsa said too quickly. She cleared her throat and pushed her chair in softly. "She probably got turned around. Be right back." She could not help but glance at her sister, who was nodding in agreement but desperately trying not to smile. Elsa felt her eyebrow twitch but left the room graciously. Heaviness hit her as soon as she walked through the doorway. An expanse of tall shelves loomed before her, and she breathed in the familiar scent of old leather and dust. She quietly made her way down the main aisle, her nervous gaze scanning for Marie. As she rounded the corner to the fifth row, Elsa halted. Marie was sitting down on the stone floor, what appeared to be cords coming out of her ears and down to a small device in her hands. A calm feeling encompassed Elsa at the sight of her. She was relaxed and content, her eyes closed and her chest slowly rising. A warm feeling spread throughout Elsa, and she smiled fondly at her. Marie frustrated her, challenged her, and enticed her more than anyone had before, and those feelings had only grown with each passing day.

Marie pulled the cords from her ears and held them out in the direction Elsa stood. Elsa clasped her hands together in embarrassment. A heightened sense of anxious excitement flooded her entire body, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and sat next to Marie on the floor. Marie put the earbuds in Elsa's ears and lifted the device in her hand. Elsa watched as it lit up at her touch and she scrolled through a list. Suddenly, Elsa's head was overcome with sound. Marie nudged her reassuringly, and Elsa let herself relax. A chorus serenaded her, their harmonies twisting and pulling away from each other magically. It filled her with a sense of wonder and calmness. Their shoulders touched. As _Vuelie_ continued, the two found themselves leaning on each other ever so slightly. Elsa closed her eyes, trying to calm her beating heart. The song finished and Marie pulled the earbuds out, wrapping the cord around her device and placing it in her pocket. Elsa stood quickly, brushing herself off. They avoided eye contact, the tension perching on the dusty books.

"Thank you. For letting me listen," Elsa said quietly.

Marie nodded. "There isn't much battery left, but I can show you some more later." She froze. "I-if that's what you want."

Elsa smiled warmly. "It is." She turned and spotted the red book Olaf wanted. A strained grunt escaped the former queen as her fingers barely touched the leather binding. Soundlessly, Marie reached up and touched the side of the book. Elsa sucked in a breath. Their hands briefly touched before Marie pulled the book down. She was only three inches taller than Elsa, but it was enough to reach the novel, but not enough for Marie to have to reach over Elsa's body. She offered the book to Elsa but did not back away.

"Here," Marie whispered. "Need any more?"

Elsa leaned against the shelf, her hands gripping the bottom of one of the rows. "The blue one next to it is the last in the series." Her head rested on the books behind her. "You should grab it for him for later."

"Okay." The book was smaller and pushed back farther on the shelf. Marie set her left hand on the row next to Elsa's side for support and reached up. Her collar bone nearly grazed across Elsa's lips. Marie's long legs pressed onto Elsa's as she reached upward. Elsa gripped the shelf even harder, ice beginning to emit from her fingers. Marie's scent filled Elsa, and her body heat wafted onto her own burning skin. It was torture and they both knew it. As Marie lowered herself, book in hand, she breathed down Elsa's neck. It was reminiscent of the night before, but in case Elsa did not realize that, every millisecond Marie spent shattering Elsa's state of being was convincing her.

"Elsa? Marie? There's been-" Anna rounded the corner in a rush. She stopped. "…an attack." All three of their faces turned beet red. It took Marie and Elsa a moment to realize the gravity of her words, but as soon as they did, they simultaneously bolted for the door. Right away, Elsa noticed several guards running from one wing to another in a state of panic she recognized from years of leading those same men into dangerous situations. Anna stayed close to her as they ran through the castle doors, but Elsa did not mind. She could protect herself; she had proven time and time again that she could. Marie pulled ahead of Anna and ran alongside Elsa, the two instinctively readying themselves.

"Your Majesties!" A young soldier ran up to them and leaned down to catch their breath. "It's taken ahold of a person this time!" she panted.

"Tell us where they are," Anna commanded.

"Up by the mill," the soldier pointed to a small manor on the mountainside. They started for the incline but were stopped when she held up her hands. "Wait! Before you go, you have to know something." The women grew still at the rising horror on the young woman's face. "It possessed a child this time."

A blast exploded from Marie. Elsa shielded her eyes and her sister as instant darkness spiraled into the air from all angles of her body. A familiar feeling of dread dripped over Elsa as Marie shot into the air, leaving nothing but a trail of darkness. "Wait!" Elsa shouted. She looked at her sister. "Get everyone a safe distance away!" She launched herself into the air and aimed her hands at the fjord. An ice slide cracked under her feet as she slid across the frozen surface. Her blue eyes followed Marie's trail, and she gasped. Marie had reached the top of hill, but she was on her hands and knees, panting heavily. Her shoulders shook in extreme effort, but her gaze was fixed firmly on a young teenage girl with red curly hair.

Elsa gasped. "Meghan!"

"Stay away!" A thunderous roar surrounded the girl as darkness shot out from her body. Some Arendellians let out screams of alarm, shielding each other as the coils of black snaked towards them. Elsa launched herself up on the hill and spun her arms over her head. With a heavy grunt, she conjured an ice storm around Meghan and Marie, blocking the darkness from spreading to the villagers. Elsa landed on her feet and planted them on the ground. The darkness hissed as it collided with the impenetrable ice wall. Marie pushed herself up to her feet and turned her body towards the stray beams.

"No!" Elsa nearly bolted to Marie. The darkness shot toward Marie without hesitation. The brunette let out a yell full of pain as it soaked into her body like water to a sponge.

Marie grabbed her chest and stumbled. "We have to distract it!" The familiar feeling of dread came over Elsa once more, and her mind briefly flashed to a possessed Marie pointing a blade of pure darkness at her. Elsa grew silent but nodded. She drew in her arms, shrinking the ice storm to help contain the darkness.

Meghan was lifted off the ground while her hair whipped around crazily. She shouted and fell to the ground, gripping her head. "I-it hurts," she said shakily. Her eyes bore into the dirt beneath her. "It hurts so much."

Another burst of darkness shot from the girl. Marie directed it towards her own body and absorbed it. Elsa gasped, her chest heaving as Marie grunted and fell on one knee. "I know," she replied. "But you're not alone, okay?" Meghan screamed in pain as more beams of darkness erupted from her. Marie waved her arms in a similar fashion Elsa just had and piled the darkness into a tight ball in front of her. Every muscle in her body shook as she contained the wild energy. "Meghan, listen." Elsa's ice storm billowed only a foot behind them. Marie gritted her teeth. "It's going to hurt even more, but you have to do this." The dark orb swelled under Marie's grip, and she nearly fell backward into the ice storm.

"No!" the teen cried. "I don't want to hurt anyone!" She crouched into a ball. "I didn't want any of this to happen." She squeezed her head. "It's too much."

Realization struck the snow queen. She thought Marie's magic seemed off lately, but her suspicions were confirmed by their conversation. Marie continued to struggle under the power of darkness Meghan was emitting at a constant rate, but she was not emitting any of her own. She had exhausted herself by getting to the girl as quickly as she could despite knowing it would harm her. None of that mattered to Marie. Even when the darkness was slowly being seeped from her, Marie continued to fight. Elsa had watched her fall to her knees several times, only to push herself back up. "I know," Marie said. She steadied herself. "Which is why you have to put it all on me."

Elsa took a step forward. "Marie," she warned. Marie looked at her and gave her a small, knowing smile. The mage sucked in a breath and let out a sound that almost sounded like a chuckle. "Fine." Meghan looked at the two women, her eyes stained with tears. They both nodded reassuringly at the teen. She grew still for a moment. Elsa breathed in.

A _boom!_ rocketed through the air. Meghan released all the darkness within her at the orb in Marie's grasp. As soon as it hit the orb, Elsa threw her arms down and met the dark energy with the rage of her storm, causing an explosion all around them. The timing had to be perfect, otherwise it would kill them all. As the icy fog settled around them, Elsa coughed and pushed herself up to her feet. The townspeople wheezed and murmured amongst themselves, but no one was harmed. She bolted forward, her heart lurching in her chest. The other people had been on the other side of her storm the entire time and were unable to see what had happened within. She came to a halt when she saw two bodies kneeling on the ice-stricken grass. Meghan was unconscious in Marie's arms. Elsa knelt quietly, her hand hovering over Marie's shoulder. Marie's eyes were wide with complete horror, and as they flitted over to Elsa, the royal immediately embraced both tightly. Tears welled behind her eyes. Marie shook underneath her grasp, her own grip on Meghan not lessening.

The warmth of another body pressed against Elsa, and the scent of her sister surrounded her. Anna hugged them tightly. As the situation settled, a few people offered to carry Meghan to the castle for medical attention. Marie began to follow, her hand slipping slowly out of Elsa's. Elsa watched her depart, her hand drifting up to her chest as it swelled with emotion. Anna watched and leaned forward to catch her sister's attention. Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat. "I can't keep doing this, Anna," she whispered shakily.

Anna stood beside her. "Doing what?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Elsa faced her but tore her gaze to the ground. "I can't keep pretending. The way I feel…" She pressed her hand into her upper chest and looked at Anna. "I can't keep betraying that."

Anna took in a deep breath. "You know the risk," she said carefully.

Elsa nodded. "I'm willing to take it."

Tears formed in Anna's eyes. "_Finally."_ Elsa grunted when her sibling embraced her and sniffled dramatically in her ear. She blushed but hugged her back. "If you two don't figure this out, I'm going to be so mad!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa laughed. They pulled apart, Anna holding her sister's hands. She squeezed them and smiled. "Go get her."

Marie stared down at the helmet in her hands and sighed heavily. Meghan was currently sleeping in the castle infirmary, uninjured but exhausted. _What am I going to say to Anna and Elsa?_ She put the helmet on over her dark blonde wig and walked out of the stables, the sun blinding her momentarily. _I thought it was only a phase. I didn't expect it to get this bad._ Her magic had almost faded entirely, slowly sapping her strength as she silently fought to hide it. As soon as she heard Meghan had been possessed, it felt as though the darkness had pulled Marie to her, even though pure anger had surged through her at the news. She shielded her eyes. _I'm just glad she's okay._

As Marie walked along the castle walls, a figure moving out from the cover of an entryway caught her eye. She knew who it was before she even saw them, a familiar sickening sensation momentarily taking over her. Dominic stepped out and leaned against a stone pillar and smiled. Marie kept walking. "If you let your emotions get the best of you, you'll fail to fool anyone," Dominic called. Marie halted, her fists clenching. He scoffed. "That girl reminds you of yourself, doesn't she? Do you think that's why the darkness chose her?"

Marie faced the man and crossed her arms, tilting her head curiously as she observed him. "You seem rather disheveled today," she stated, noting his uncombed brown hair, darkened eyes and drooping shoulders. "You might want to rest alongside Daniel."

Dominic approached her, stopping when he was only an inch away from her face. "Does Elsa know you pretend to have a cock as well?"

She looked at him. "How unoriginal. You have my sympathy on your viewpoint of people."

Pure anger washed over his face, but he suddenly pulled away. Marie turned around to see Anna standing in the hallway. The queen stood up straight from leaning against the wall and walked forward. "Elsa is waiting for you in the gardens," she said to Marie. She dipped her head and began walking past Anna. As Marie passed her, Anna caught her forearm gently. "Don't keep her waiting any longer," she whispered. A jolt of shock flashed through Marie and she looked at Anna. The ginger gazed at her with a small smile and nodded.

Marie pulled away and bowed. Her eyes became heavy, and she swallowed to fight off the onslaught of tears that started to build up. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she said professionally, yet genuinely. Anna nodded once, the same small smile still on her face.

A million thoughts ran through Elsa's mind. She sat on a stone bench in the middle of the castle gardens, absentmindedly fiddling with her hands in her lap. Her light blue dress draped over the green grass lazily, yet her entire body was tense. Soft footsteps padded behind her, and she quickly picked up Marie's pattern. She sat on the other side and faced the other direction, leaning down and resting her forearms against her knees. Elsa smoothed her dress. "Twenty," she said quietly.

Marie took in a deep breath. "Twenty-four," she replied, not moving her lips. A few moments of silence dragged on between them. Marie looked over at Elsa before moving her eyes back to the ground. "Do you think they can hear us?" she asked quietly.

Elsa relaxed slightly but kept her distance. "No," she whispered. Her chest throbbed. It had been this way for a while now, but the feeling had grown even more intense the past few days. It burned within her, consumed her thoughts, overrode her feelings until she silently forced herself to think about something else. Marie was no different. Anna's words echoed around her head, paralyzing her every limb. Elsa gazed at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Marie hung her head. "I didn't want to worry you," she mumbled. When Elsa scoffed, Marie groaned in frustration. "I know. You don't have to say it. That's the real reason…"

Elsa reached out and touched the armor on Marie's arm. "What do you mean?" She flinched when Marie immediately stood and turned her back to her. The royal withdrew her hand shakily but waited for the other woman's response.

Marie clenched her fists. Elsa's touch had sent an array of emotions through her. They both could hear the distant shuffling of the two-dozen staff that watched behind various corners and pillars. She gritted her teeth. She had to make a choice. Her pride shook her very core within her, but something else had beaten its grip: longing. Marie longed to be close to Elsa. She longed to tell her things no one else knew. She longed to feel Elsa on her skin, even if for a second. She longed for things she had never longed for before, and in different ways than in her youth. Marie's lips twitched with the urge of a million thoughts. Elsa's eyes washed over her; Marie did not need to look to feel her gaze upon her.

Marie said, "I'm afraid." Elsa heard the effort it took to speak those words and remained silent to let her finish. "I'm afraid of losing control again. I'm afraid that I won't be able to fight alongside you anymore, to finish what I was meant to do. I'm afraid that if I lose my powers, I'll be sent back and forget everything like my grandpa did." Marie lifted her shaky hands and stared down at them. "I'm afraid of forgetting everyone and everything from here. I finally feel like I'm worth something, and I don't want to lose any of that. I'm afraid of losing my job, my friendships…you." Elsa froze. "I'm afraid of how you make me feel. I'm afraid of feeling so safe with someone, of feeling so wanted and desired. But…I'm most afraid of how much I want it." Marie began moving her head to look at Elsa but changed her mind halfway through. "It scared me how much I liked it when you touched me, how much I wanted it to never end." A few tears had streamed down Marie's face, and Elsa shook as much as Marie's voice when she spoke. "How much I want to be with you…scares me."

Elsa covered her mouth, her eyes wide and streaming with tears. Marie moved slightly, but as soon as she did, Elsa shot out a hand and stood. "Wait!" She grasped Marie's hand desperately and took in a deep breath. "Marie, wait!" Marie looked at her in shock. A few murmurs bounced around them, but Elsa did not care. "I don't care where you come from." Marie froze as Elsa took a step towards her, her blue eyes piercing into her. "I don't care if you have dark powers or magic." She grabbed Marie's other hand and smiled shyly. "It doesn't matter who you are. I just want you."

A shaky exhale escaped Marie. She peered at the balcony behind Elsa and shook her head. "You just _had_ to, didn't you?" she asked softly. Elsa let out a laugh and grinned. Marie released her hands, only to bring them up to her own chin. She tugged at the strap that held the helmet on her head, but quickly grew embarrassed. "I can't get it off," she grumbled. Elsa ignited a finger with ice and froze the strap, shattering it to pieces. They both ripped it off and Elsa threw it to the side, the metal clanking on the grass below. Their hands immediately found each other's faces, wiping away each other's tears. Elsa's fingers glided under the wig and into Marie's mousy brown hair. They ignored the gasps from the staff and gazed at each other. Elsa smoothed Marie's hair, eventually moving her fingers to the back of her head and pulling her forward. Marie smiled and obeyed.

Their lips were already damp when they met. They pressed into each other, the world around them fading. The sound of their lips separating filled their ears, but it barely sounded by how quickly they found each other again. Elsa opened her eyes to fondly gaze at Marie when they pulled away, her hot breath spreading over Marie's mouth. They stared at one another, their breath washing over the other as their hands held each other's faces tenderly. Their foreheads touched. Elsa pulled at the armor on Marie's chest as she rubbed her forehead against hers. Marie's fingertips grazed across Elsa's collarbone, to which the ice mage shivered. They breathed in each other's presence, wanting nothing more in that moment. Rushed footsteps echoed around them. Elsa grunted and eyed the balcony, instinctively feeling protective over the woman in her arms. Marie pressed the side of her face in Elsa's hair, her eyes glaring at the surrounding entryways.

"Ian's Marie! He was Marie the whole time!"

Marie gripped Elsa's hand and scowled. "Well, shit."

A chuckle hummed through Elsa. She set her face in the crook of Marie's neck. "That didn't take long," she remarked quietly.

_Clap. Clap. Clap._

A chill ran down the women's spines. Dominic appeared out of the shadows and continued to clap slowly. "That was quite the show." He threw a sheathed sword at Marie's feet. "But I'm afraid it ends now."

Marie narrowed her eyes. Something about him was off. It was as though he radiated a dark energy, but one unlike any Marie and Elsa had come across, even during combat. Elsa placed a hand on Marie's forearm before taking a step forward. "Dominic, let me explain."

"YOU DON'T GET TO SPEAK!" he screamed, unsheathing his own sword and pointing it at her. "You thought you could make a fool out of me by tricking me into this little farce of yours?" He stepped forward. Elsa aimed her hand at him, her magic ready. "You made your choice. Now let's see if it was worth it."

Marie silently picked up the sword and unsheathed it. Elsa watched as she held the sheath in her left in a backhanded style and the sword in her right. The ice mage faltered. "What are you doing?" Elsa asked.

"I took an oath, even if it was pretend." A small smile spread across Marie's face as she glanced back at Elsa. "I don't intend to break it anytime-" It was a mistake to look away. Dominic lunged at Marie, somehow moving faster than any normal human could. She crossed her blades and shielded Elsa as his sword collided with hers. Beads of sweat dripped down her face as she struggled under his attack. Elsa raised her hand. "No!" Marie commanded. She pushed him off. "Let me." She parried his blows, her teeth gritting as she dodged his onslaught of attacks. _How is he so fast?_ Marie thought to herself. Suddenly he twirled his sword and hit Marie's jaw with his hilt. His sword sliced the side of Marie's neck, her blood staining the blade red. She fell to the ground from the impact, her eyes wide. Ice immediately blasted from Elsa and shot Dominic, sending him flying into a pillar. His body hit the stone with a sickening thud before dropping to the ground.

Elsa knelt. "Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly. Marie blinked in response, her head still reeling. "Here." Elsa's fingertips glowed as she touched the cut, freezing it shut. "Maybe let me handle it next time." A ring of staff members had crowded around the scene. A few rushed forwards to aid the women.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted a maid on the side. A loud grunt came from Dominic as he hurled his sword straight for Elsa's chest. She shielded Marie and conjured an ice wall. A metallic clang echoed through the castle. Elsa opened her eyes slowly.

A familiar purple cape flapped in the wind. Dominic's sword was knocked out of the air and onto the ground. Complete silence filled the castle grounds as Anna flicked her blade to her side, her eyes burning with an intensity that Elsa had never seen before. "That's enough."


	17. Chapter 16

**This chapter contains themes of physical violence, assault, and mental illness. Reader discretion is advised**

Marie sat up while she pressed her hand against her neck, her mouth hanging open. Anna narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, Dominic was seized by two men. Elsa squeezed Marie's shoulders. "Kristoff. General. I'm glad we got your message in time," the ice mage said.

Kristoff struggled with a furious Dominic before nodding back to her. "It's just as you two thought; we caught a small army of troops on their way to the Enchanted Forest. They planned on coming to Arendelle after destroying the spirits."

Elsa rolled her eyes while Anna nodded. "They thought the Forest was the source of the darkness, didn't they?" The two men nodded. "Figures."

Marie watched silently despite her curiosity. She never took an interest in politics because she was never a part of it, but now it was happening before her eyes. Dominic glared at the Queen while she pointed her blade at him. "Feigning our trade policy to learn Arendelle's shipping routes, courting Elsa around the castle grounds several times a day, even choosing to sail here to guarantee a clean escape after the land route would have been destroyed." Anna peered down at him. "All only four years after your father tried to have Arendelle's Queen killed."

Dominic smiled, relaxing in the men's grip. "You finally grew a brain." He winced as Kristoff and Mattias gripped him even tighter.

Anna lowered the dark ice blade slightly. "Why did you play along, despite knowing from the start?"

Dominic shook his head and scoffed. Marie felt shivers run down her spine when he looked at her. "Entertainment," he replied. Marie felt her blood boil. "Tell me, Your Majesty, how does it feel to have permanently soiled your reputation? First, your slip with magic, now this." Dominic was silenced by Anna's blade coming within an inch of his throat. He winced.

"This is _my_ kingdom," Anna seethed. Elsa gasped. "Prejudice of any kind is not tolerated here." Marie looked around the gardens as several cheers filled the area. Anna grinned, her eyes fiercely burning into Dominic. "Marie feigning to be Ian was my idea, as was Elsa's involvement. Therefore, both are fully pardoned." She lowered her blade. "Bring him to the dungeons for now. We'll hold trial later." More cheers erupted as Kristoff and Mattias dragged Dominic away. Elsa rushed to her sister and embraced her. Marie stood.

"I'm so proud of you!" Elsa wiped a tear away from her eye. "You handled that like a true queen."

"Hey, now, have a little faith in me," Anna teased, nudging her sister. Her turquoise eyes landed on Marie. "That cut doesn't look good. Johanna!" she called.

"Here, Your Majesty!" the plump woman pushed through the bubbling crowd. Marie groaned when her shoulders were seized. "Foolish girl! Her Majesty told you to let her handle it, didn't she?" Elsa raised a hand in protest as Johanna began to drag Marie away. "Confound it! Your shawl has blood on it now." Marie let out a pained chuckle. She let the nurse lead her back to her room and change her out of her battered clothing. Once she was clean, Johanna sat down on the end of the bed and peered at the wound on her neck. "Looks like she sealed it shut," she commented. Marie opened her mouth but was silenced by a knock on the door. Elsa poked her head in the room, her face tinted with concern. Johanna sighed. "Keep this one out of trouble, you hear?"

Elsa nodded and stepped into the room while Johanna departed. The door clicked shut. Marie felt her insides twist as blood rushed to her head. She opened her mouth to speak yet again, but Elsa held up a hand. She silently counted down with her fingers and pointed at the door when she reached zero. It opened. "What an exciting day!" Anna exclaimed as Kristoff and General Mattias joined her. Elsa quietly moved to sit by Marie's side on the bed and began healing her wound, causing her to wince. "Did you kick Johanna out?"

Marie felt Elsa shift. "N-no," the mage stammered.

Mattias knelt in front of Marie, his dark eyes surveying the wound. "He was faster, wasn't he?"

"Very," Marie responded. She winced as she turned her head to look at Anna. "So…what happened?"

"We've been suspicious of Westleton plotting to raid Arendelle for a while now," Kristoff explained. The door opened, and Olaf and Sven entered. "The duke tried to have Elsa killed after her coronation, so when he found out that Dominic took his place a year ago, we sent an invitation to our wedding." He crossed his arms. "Even though I was against it…"

Olaf giggled and hopped off Sven's back. "Could you imagine the after party?" He climbed up next to Marie and wiggled his frozen feet. "Deadly ice queen versus killer duke." Marie could not help but snort in amusement. Mattias glared at her.

"Dominic was never one for celebrations that weren't for him, so he canceled and requested to come two weeks prior," Anna explained. "Westleton is easier to reach by land, so when we heard he planned to arrive via sea, Kristoff and Destin gathered a small group and split between the Enchanted Forest and Westleton."

"The Northuldra helped us apprehend a group trying to sneak into the Forest." Mattias rubbed his eyes. "They should be grateful it was us and not the spirits." Elsa nodded in agreement.

Marie winced when Elsa's ice caused her neck to cramp. "So why the need for Ian?"

"It was a distraction," Elsa said softly.

"Exactly," Anna replied. Her eyes rested on Marie. "Dominic has always known Elsa wasn't interested in him, so when I saw you in the armor, I went with it." The room was filled with a collective sigh. The queen itched her cheek and chuckled.

"Yeah, well, he knew the whole time," Marie muttered.

"Oh, definitely," Mattias said.

"Yep," Kristoff said. Sven bayed.

"Knew what?" Olaf asked.

Elsa bit her lip as she looked at her sister. "Olaf," she said gently, leaning forward and resting a hand on his stick arm. "Marie was pretending to be Ian the whole time."

Olaf gasped loudly and covered his mouth. "WHAT?" He leaped off the bed and began walking in circles around Sven. "The lies! The betrayal! _The drama._" He placed a wooden hand on his forehead dramatically. "And here I thought Elsa had to choose between three. Now, it is back down to one…"

Mattias cleared his throat while Marie's face turned a bright red. "Your Majesty, we should arrange the details for trial later," he suggested, heading for the door.

Anna guided Olaf towards the door as well. "You're right! Come on, Olaf! Let's let Elsa concentrate so she can heal Marie's wound."

"Aww, but I wanted to discuss the morality of Marie pretending to be someone who doesn't actually exist!" the snowman complained.

Elsa shifted. "Are you sure you don't need my help? I can-"

"No, it's okay!" Anna held up her hands in reassurance, but Marie sensed that she was also tense. "I already know you'll be at the trial, so…Just let me handle it!" Elsa reached for her in protest, but Anna hurried the snowman through the door. "I'll come get you if I need you! Bye!"

Marie and Elsa stared at the door as it shut, leaving them alone in the room. A quiet hum surrounded them from Elsa's magic seeping into Marie's wound. They looked at each other.

Elsa let out a forced laugh. "So…"

A dull, nauseating feeling flooded Marie's brain. She squeezed the garments she wore, desperately trying to fight it down. "So, he's locked up until trial starts?" Marie asked with a tremble.

"Yes." Elsa pulled her hand away and leaned forward to gaze at Marie. "You don't have to worry about-" She stopped speaking when Marie shot to her feet. The brunette paced despite being wounded and battered, her eyes widened like a cornered animal. Elsa rose slowly. "Is this the past trauma illness you've mentioned?" she asked softly.

Marie let out an awkward chuckle. "Close." She gripped her neck and stared at the floor. "I know I'm safe. I know I'm not in danger. I know all of this! I'm just-!" Elsa took a step forward when Marie crouched and gripped her head. The woman's entire body shook uncontrollably. "If I speak slowly, it's because I'm trying to force myself to stay in the present."

Elsa smoothed out her dress as she knelt in front of her. She set a hand on Marie's shoulder, to which Marie flinched. The mage let her fingers spread over the thin fabric. "Can you tell me what's happening? Not what you are remembering: I know that's too painful." Marie shielded her face. Elsa inched forward. "Maybe if you talk through it, it will help."

"Um…" Marie swallowed a lump in her throat. "Th-there's a defense mechanism c-called fight-or-flight that the brain does when we are in danger." Her neck consistently felt as though it was being sliced open. She closed her eyes. "That's what's happening now, even though I know I'm safe. B-but my brain just does it. It just does it when something that reminds me of the shit I've been through happens. I-…" Marie fought back tears. "I usually go off by myself when this happens."

Elsa's shoulders drooped. "Because it's embarrassing," she responded thoughtfully. "I did the same thing when everyone found out about my magic at my coronation. I had always dealt with everything alone. I was afraid of hurting someone else, but Anna didn't care." She set her fingertips on Marie's chin and lifted gently. "I don't care, Marie. You can let yourself be this way with me. It's not going to push me away."

She could not comprehend it. Maybe she was not ready to. All Marie knew is that her mind and body were not believing Elsa. She refused to look Elsa in the eye. "I-I'd like to be alone right now," she managed to say. Her chest swarmed with the familiar heaviness, but she did nothing to fight it.

Elsa withdrew. "You don't mean that." Marie kept her gaze lowered, her throat constricting from fighting off an onslaught of tears. "But I won't push." As Elsa stood, a sudden urge to grab her hand and pull her back down encompassed Marie, but if she was a master at anything, it was holding back her desires. She remained still. "If you need me, just call for me, okay?" Marie heard Elsa's footsteps pad across the floor, regret and shame gnawing at every fiber within her. They kept her motionless as the door opened and Elsa slipped through. The ice mage paused, her hand gripping the side of the wooden door. "I meant everything I said before. I will always protect you, Marie, even when you think I don't want to." She withdrew and slowly shut the door.

Hot tears spilled down Marie's face. She covered her face and uttered three words to herself. She was not ready to say them aloud, but as Elsa's words rang in her head, the feeling of hope struck the heaviness within her. Several minutes passed as the feeling lifted. Marie set a hand on her chest as it swelled. She did not need to know why Elsa had such unwavering faith in her. All she knew is that she wanted her to keep believing. The brunette wiped her face off sloppily and started for the door. She flung it open. A burst of fresh air covered her face, and she smiled. As she took a step forward, a figure swung out and struck her in the head, instantly knocking her unconscious.

Two people conversed quietly in the front rows of the chapel. Elsa watched from the back row but did not pay attention. Her thoughts were elsewhere. _Anna has this whole thing handled,_ she thought to herself. _I'm not needed here anymore._ She leaned forward and bit her bottom lip. _I want to return to the Forest, but…_ She rose and departed the church, heading back for the castle. _Would it be too much to ask Marie to join me?_ Trial would begin within the hour, but Elsa found that her presence was not necessary. Her feet led her down the halls of the castle towards the room Marie was in.

A guard sprinted past. Elsa immediately ran forward, calling to him. He turned to face her, the expression that covered his face sending a chill throughout her. "Your Majesty!" He ran to her. "We've been looking for you! I have terrible news. We sent a guard to get Sir Dominic for the trial, but when they didn't return, we sent more men down there." He caught his breath. "Sir Dominic wasn't in his cell, and Daniel is gone as well."

The sound of waves beating against the earth rocked in Marie's ears. She opened her eyes slowly. Wooden walls surrounded her, and the small room was dank. Although her head was pounding, she could tell she was on a large boat. Another body lay in the corner of the same cell she was in. Marie rushed to her feet but was unable to stand due to her feet and hands being tied. "Daniel?!" She struggled against the ropes that bound her. "Daniel, can you hear me?"

The young man groaned and stirred. "Marie?" he asked hazily. He sat up, his face contorting in confusion. "Wh-what? Where are we?"

"I don't know," Marie said hurriedly. She twisted her arms so that her hands were in front of her. "Feels like we're on a boat docked somewhere." They both looked out of the small opening as a seagull cawed outside. She set her head against the damp wall. "It's still the same day, so we can't be far from Arendelle."

Daniel squinted and gasped. "You're bleeding," he commented, leaning forward.

Marie chuckled and shook her head. "So are you," she said, noting the cut on his forehead.

He looked around. "Who would do this?"

Marie froze. A coil of darkness snaked into their cell, wrapping around their throats. Footsteps rounded the corner. Dominic lifted a corner of his lips up, darkness covering him like a fitted coat. Daniel gagged as he was lifted off the floor. "Sorry, old friend," Dominic said in a low tone. "But you were just collateral."

Fear struck Elsa. She took a step back. "Where are the others?"

"Elsa!" The sound of her sister's voice rang in her ears like music. Anna embraced her, Kristoff and Mattias not far behind. "We just found out. You haven't seen either of them?" But Elsa did not answer the queen. Her eyes were scanning the small crowd for a face that was not there. Elsa bolted for the guest room, an ice trail spreading out behind her. The doors shot open, and she ran inside, her breath catching in her throat. The room was empty. Anna came up behind her.

The walls formed icicles that pointed straight at them, their crisp crackling filling the room. Elsa stumbled backward. "N-no," she breathed. Her breaths became labored. "Marie?" She whipped around, her blue eyes finding no one. "Marie!"

Another guard ran up to Mattias and whispered urgently in his ear. The man's brown eyes widened. "Your Highness," he said. Elsa turned to look at the General. "They found traces of darkness in Dominic's cell."

Anna covered her mouth. "Elsa, has Marie been acting strangely lately?" she asked quietly.

The icicles grew. "Her darkness isn't as strong, like it's being-…" Elsa stopped and looked at her sister.

"There's something you should know," Anna stated shakily. "It's about what Grand Pabbie told me."

Daniel fought against Dominic's grip. "What is all this? Dominic!" Suddenly Dominic thrust his arm up, making Daniel's body crash through the wooden ceiling of the cell and land on the deck above.

"What the hell?!" Marie exclaimed. She opened her hands, conjuring a dark blade. She gasped. Nothing formed. Her eyes shook with terror. "What?" Suddenly, a fist met her jaw, and she was knocked to the floor. Dominic lifted her up by the hair. She struggled against his grip as he lifted her to his eye level and looked into her eyes.

"This power is tantalizing, isn't it?" Dominic asked softly. Marie gritted her teeth as he leaned towards her. "I knew if I wanted it hard enough, it would eventually choose me over you, and it has. You were too weak to do what needed to be done. What I don't understand, even after watching it being seeped from you like water from a plant, is one thing." He began dragging her body up the stairs to the deck. "Why do you insist on holding onto it despite not being strong enough to stop it from leaving?"

Sunlight hit Marie's eyes. With a grunt, Dominic threw her down on the deck. She rolled to a stop, catching a glimpse of Daniel a few feet away. He was watching them while being held down by a dark energy much blacker than any she had ever wielded. Marie lifted herself up to her knees. "So what, you're going to torture me until I give you the rest of it?" she seethed, spitting out blood onto the boat's old deck.

Dominic chuckled. "No, you're much too heroic for something like that." He lifted an arm. Daniel's head whipped around frantically as he was lifted into the air. Dominic squeezed his hand. The darkness seeped into Daniel's flesh. He screamed in pain.

"Stop!" Marie charged for Dominic. "Knock it off!" Dominic simply lifted his foot and kicked her in the gut, sending her back down to the deck. He released Daniel, whose body dropped and remained motionless.

"The thing with people like you and Elsa is that you care too much." Darkness slithered from Dominic like a cancer as he knelt in front of Marie. A hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed. "To think this was being wasted on you!" he hissed in her face. "Every moment I spent taking it from you was worth it. Can you feel it?" His fingers squeezed even harder, causing her to gasp for air. "Can you feel the last of it draining from you? But you've been through something like this before, haven't you? You've been robbed of something precious of yours, just in a different way. That's what I love most about this." He grinned, his eyes moving up and down her face. "I love seeing that look in your eyes, that _numbness_ of reliving it over and over again. I've seen your memories as the darkness sank into me. Tell me." His breath ran over the blood and sweat the dripped down her face. "Does it remind you of when your past lover put his hands around your neck you and pinned you, or does it remind you of how the life was almost choked from your mother by your own father? Which is it?"

Daniel stirred. "Don't give it to him! He'll destroy everything!"

Dominic scoffed. A beam of darkness shot down into Daniel's leg. He screamed in pain. A laugh escaped Dominic. Although it did not physically tear Daniel's skin and flesh, the pain and sensation made it feel as though it had. Marie struggled within his grasp in pure rage as more beams shot down into his body. "St-…" Her fingers sunk into his forearm. Daniel grew silent. "…Stop…" Dominic narrowed his eyes but subsided the beams. Daniel did not move. "You want it?" Marie raised her hand, the last of her dark power forming into a small ball on her palm. Dominic's eyes grew wide. She raised her arm into the air. "Then take it." Before he could stop her, Marie shot the ball into the air.

"NO!" Dominic screamed and threw her down. He sprinted to the edge of the boat, watching helplessly as it shot straight for the castle. "What did you do?!"

A small smile formed on Marie's lips. Her body grew limp, and her eyes slowly shut as consciousness faded from her.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**

Sorry, guys! I accidentally posted the wrong and UNFINISHED version of chapter 17! Here is the updated and COMPLETED version! Enjoy 😊

_Anna hummed happily to herself, the evening fire warming her and her closest companions. She twirled some red wine in a glass in her hand and looked around the library. Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were fixated on a stack of cards, Kristoff's tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration. Marie sat at a nearby couch, her attention switching between them and a piece of parchment before her. A gentle hand touched Anna's shoulder, and she watched as Elsa glided passed her and sat next to Marie. _

_ Her sister leaned over, lightly touching the foreigner's shoulder. "What are you working on?" she asked softly. _

_ Anna lifted the book in her hands closer to her face but peered over the top. Marie smoothed out a corner of the paper, seemingly nervous about Elsa's touch. "The kids are doing a project about their homes and wanted me to do one, too, but I lived in an apartment. There's not much to draw there…"_

_ Elsa curled her legs underneath her gown. "What if you drew what you wanted in a home instead?" Anna nearly choked on her wine. _

_ Marie's left hand scribbled. "Hm…" The brunette continued scribbling for a few minutes. Anna watched, occasionally catching Kristoff's eye as he quietly observed from behind. "Done!"_

_ Elsa tilted her head. "What's this?"_

_ Olaf trotted to their sides and looked over Marie's blueprints. "Very nice touch with the surrounding porch…A room just for baths: nice! What's this? An office?"_

_ "Yeah!" Marie pointed, a small crowd soon surrounding her. "I'd like a room just for writing. It could also be my room or a guest room. The upstairs would be the master bedroom and-"_

_ "But if your room is downstairs, who would be in the master bedroom?" Kristoff asked._

The icicles crackled throughout the guest room of Arendelle's castle. Elsa took in a shaky breath and retracted them. "Tell us, Anna. What did Pabbie say?"

Anna swallowed a lump in her throat. "I shouldn't have waited to tell you," she said quietly. Elsa tensed. The ginger looked at her sister. "Marie isn't of this world, so if her purpose is fulfilled, or she loses that purpose…If she doesn't have her dark powers, it will kill her."

The balcony doors burst open. Everyone instinctively covered their heads as a beam of darkness snaked around Elsa. Anna yelled and charged forward, but Kristoff caught her. Elsa grew still, her eyes momentarily turning a solid black as Marie's darkness played a memory across her mind. As quickly as it had entered, it shot through the doors once more, leaving debris in its wake.

Anna took a step towards her. "What did-?" Elsa bolted for the balcony and pointed a hand at the sky. Ice spiraled above the town. A moment of silence hung in the air before her magic exploded and formed into the shape of an intricate red snowflake. Anna felt the air around her harden. She looked at her sister. Elsa's eyes were glazed over with a look of hatred that Anna hoped she would never see in her lifetime. The sisters made eye contact, nodded, and turned around, Elsa leaping off the balcony and Anna rushing out of the castle room.

A horn blared across the town sky as Elsa sprinted across the fjord's surface, her feet freezing the water upon impact. She halted and faced the town, raising her arms. The Red Flake. It was Arendelle's highest security breach system. Although Anna had assumed the throne, she did not remove The Red Flake's influence in case of an emergency. Elsa heard the familiar neigh of The Nokk behind her. "No!" she demanded. The Nokk bowed its head. "This is _my_ fight." Elsa gritted her teeth as ice began to raise around the town walls, shielding everything inside. A tiny ball of darkness twirled in front of her. "Show me where they are," Elsa ordered. It shot over the frozen fjord, the ice mage not far behind. As she ran, she coated her body with ice armor, dawning it red to match the ambience.

As the last of Marie's darkness let her to a hidden inlet, Elsa caught sight of Dominic standing over a familiar, yet motionless body. He held a dark blade in his hand, ready to strike down. "NO!" A scream of pure rage erupted around them. Elsa rocketed above them and, with all her might, slammed Dominic's body with a massive ice wall. He hollered as his body was flung backward and crashed through the cabin of the now frozen boat. She ran to Marie's side, the ball of darkness swirling around them. "Marie," Elsa breathed, her brilliant blue eyes washing over her. She opened her palm and tilted Marie's head back. The tiny ball of darkness curled in Elsa's hand and she carefully placed it over Marie's chest. It absorbed into her. Elsa pressed their foreheads together and waited. Marie did not stir. Elsa wrapped her shaky arms around the lifeless woman. "Everything's okay." She brushed a strand of mousy brown hair out of Marie's face. "I'm here now. Please…"

The sound of hooves pounding on the frozen ground filled the air, and Anna, Kristoff, and a brigade of Arendellian soldiers rounded the inlet. Anna silently slipped off her white horse after taking in the scene. Hot tears streamed down Elsa's face. Anna immediately ran to her but stopped when Elsa's cries echoed around the still area. Marie's face twitched. Anna gasped. "Elsa!"

A sudden inhale filled the air. Elsa cries turned to ones of glee as Marie's eyes opened. The brunette faded in and out of consciousness for a few seconds before focusing on Elsa, who embraced her tightly. Anna smiled at her soldiers as they cheered. Marie ran a bloodied hand over Elsa's mouth. "…You came…" Marie rasped.

Elsa grabbed her hand and held it to her face. "Of course, I did," she breathed. They gazed at each other, warranting several whistles from the soldiers. Elsa conjured an ice wall between them.

A groan sounded from the wreckage of the boat's cabin, and the women looked up to see Dominic's figure stirring, darkness snaking above him like possessed branches. "Give me five minutes?" Marie joked quietly, still finding it difficult to speak.

Elsa chuckled fondly and unfroze the ground beneath Marie, leaving it comfortable for her to rest on. She unfroze the ice wall, her sister running to their sides. "Can I borrow that?" Elsa asked, pointing at the dark blade Anna was carrying. The queen unquestionably handed it to her. Elsa gazed at them. Anna knelt over Marie, giving her sister a nod. "Don't worry," Elsa said. "I will protect you now."

It was a marvelous sight. Elsa made no attempt to hide her fury. It poured out of her in the form of a storm, surrounding her and everything around her with snow and ice. The soldiers covered their eyes and sought shelter, but Anna and Marie remained unscathed, protected by a barrier Elsa had summoned around them. Elsa's blonde hair whipped in the wind wildly, her blue eyes fixed on Dominic's rising figure. Suddenly he screamed, shooting darkness out in every direction. "WH-WHY?!" He gripped his head and lashed out blindly. Elsa sidestepped and ricocheted a blast of darkness onto a nearby mountain, unflinching as it exploded upon impact. Anna shielded Marie's body with her own as a cloud of dust filled the air. Dominic stumbled to his feet. "Why can't you just DIE ALREADY?!"

Anna's mouth fell open. "Oh, _wrong_ thing to say," she muttered.

Elsa sheathed the dark blade at her hip and launched herself at Dominic. He could only gasp as the full extent of Elsa's icy rage met his face. Elsa wordlessly launched his body far onto the fjord, watching as it crashed and rolled on the ice violently. She floated above the broken ice's surface, her entire body coated with ice armor. Dominic coughed and glared at her, Marie's stolen darkness hissing around his body. Elsa watched him, her eyes filled with pure apathy. Dominic scoffed. "I barely felt-" He was interrupted by a flurry of ice shards shooting straight for him. He blocked, coating his body with darkness. Elsa twirled much like a figure skater, a trail of icicles leaving her fingers as her spin enhanced their speed. The icicles stabbed into his dark armor, but the impact was still felt. Dominic wheezed. "My grandfather was the one who failed to kill that fool, John! But now, it's my turn to finish what he couldn't do!"

Anna and Marie watched as Elsa and Dominic waged war over the fjord. Marie sat up. "Is he monologuing?" she asked roughly.

"Yep," Anna answered with equal disbelief.

Dominic leaned forward, his entire body shaking. "I am the third chosen by The Rift! I will purge the magic from this world!" A bloodcurdling howl escaped him. Elsa floated motionlessly as Dominic formed the darkness around his body. Black dripped from his mouth like slobber, and his fingernails formed in the shape of claws. His muscles bulged underneath his clothing, ripping them at the seams as his body grew. The darkness coated him as though it were a wild beast. He leaped at Elsa, who dodged him soundlessly. "THIS IS THE POWER I TOOK FROM HER." His voice was distorted, almost demonic. Marie felt herself tremble, but Elsa did not falter. Only three minutes had passed. She had to subdue him for a little while longer. "THIS IS WHO YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN." A tidal wave of darkness erupted from Dominic, heading straight for the town. Anna gasped, but Elsa parted it as though it were a simple stream. The darkness floated over Arendelle, cracking the ice barrier that covered the town, but unable to break it. Anna looked down at Marie when the injured woman groaned in pain. Marie lowered her hand that was outstretched towards the black tidal wave, seemingly exhausted from the effort.

Elsa looked like a pure white angel with a frozen face. She fell towards the water, only to glide above its surface. Everything around her was at an absolute zero, and she was headed straight for Dominic. He scurried to his feet and lashed out, but Elsa breathed on the darkness, freezing it solid. Panicked screams came from Dominic's mouth now. He stumbled on frozen trails of the stolen darkness, tripping. Elsa landed on the ice and, with a light huff, trapped him within a barrage of ice. It instantly froze any dark power he attempted to emit as a last resort. He could not move. Elsa drew the dark blade, her own absolute zero ice everything but its core of light magic. She swung.

"Wait!"

The blade stopped within an inch of Dominic's throat. Marie stumbled to her feet, gripping her side. She stumbled out onto the ice, afraid for a second that it would freeze her solid. The storm was no longer there; instead, an area so still surrounded Elsa that everything that came within its borders would instantly freeze, except for Marie. The brunette looked around the fjord. Elsa had done it. She had frozen all of Dominic's dark power. Marie knelt and touched a frozen dark trail. She took in a deep breath. It seeped back into her fingertips, starting from where she was currently touching and spreading out from the far reaches of the frozen fjord. Marie's body ignited with darkness, and she felt a sudden rush of emotion. Her arm flicked in the air, the last of the frozen darkness absorbing back into its original owner. Dominic let out a choking sound as the darkness left him. The two women barely paid him any attention as his body flopped onto the ice, unconscious. A few soldiers rushed to collect his body.

Elsa flitted away. Marie tentatively followed. "Stay back!" Elsa warned, her voice almost sounding ethereal. Marie lost her breath. It was as though Elsa were a freshly painted statue. Her eyes were coated a pure white along with her skin and hair. It was the most terrifying, yet beautiful thing Marie had ever seen. "I'm not exactly human right now." Even her voice was crisp like ice.

Marie looked down at her hands that were coated in darkness. "If you're not, then I'm not." She smiled. Elsa sucked in a breath. Slowly, the world around them thawed. Elsa's skin took on a warmer hue, and as she raised her arms into the air, her magic piled into one snowflake, which she dissipated. Marie twirled her darkness into a ball, which dissipated in her palm.

"WHOA!" Anna waved crazily from the shore. "THAT-! DID YOU-!? WHOA-HO-HO!" Elsa brought them to shore on a piece of ice, both her and Marie's exhaustion suddenly hitting them. Anna hugged them. "THAT WAS EPIC!"

"Daniel." Marie looked towards the ship. "Daniel's on board. He tried protecting me." A couple soldiers, with Mattias leading, headed for the boat. Marie fell to her knees. "My magic doesn't heal like yours." She smiled bravely, trying to fight off an onslaught of pain. Blonde hair filled her vision. Marie turned red.

"I'm sorry," Elsa breathed in her ear. Marie grew still. "I said I'd always protect you…"

Marie slid her arms around Elsa's small frame and squeezed. "And you did." She nestled her face in the crook of Elsa's neck as the two women held each other. Marie's eyes welled with tears. "You kept your promise."

Olaf sobbed softly aboard Sven's back. "I have a feeling I know who that master bedroom is for," he wept.

The sound of flesh tearing sounded behind them. "Your Majesty! Look out!" a soldier shouted. Dominic charged for the two women, a bloody icicle in his hand. Anna dove forward, managing to grab her dark blade from Elsa's side. Elsa screamed as Anna and Dominic's bodies collided.

"ANNA!" Kristoff screamed, rushing forward. A trickle of blood poured from Dominic's mouth. His body slid off Anna and onto the ground. Everyone watched in horror as some of Elsa's remaining magic began to freeze him solid. He gasped, looking at Marie before the magic took him. Anna gasped and stumbled, her blade now coated with blood. "Are you okay?" Kristoff asked worriedly, Elsa joining him.

The queen dropped the blade, her hands shaking. Elsa embraced her. "I'm alright," Anna breathed. Her and Marie's eyes met. "It's over now." Marie stared with wide eyes at Dominic, the horror of it all finally settling in.

A few hours had passed. Elsa made her way down to the castle dungeons with Anna, the light of a single torch illuminating their path. Several heavily armed guards parted and bowed their heads. Anna and Elsa nodded at each other, and Anna pushed the iron gate open. A lone silhouette greeted them. Dominic raised his head, his arms and legs chained to the stone wall behind him. "Come for exposition?" he asked. A cough rattled his bare chest, which shone from Elsa's magic.

Anna pointed the torch under his chin. "Tell us what you know, or I'll have my sister thaw your wound."

"Answer this first." The sisters looked at one another as the once possessed, egotistic man now hung his head. "Where is Daniel?"

"It's none of your concern," Elsa said furiously.

Dominic shook his head. "Relax. He had no idea about any of it."

Anna knelt, bringing the torch closer. "_It? _You call an attempt to invade the Northuldra and Arendelle AND killing my sister and Marie _IT?!_ Elsa." The ice mage flicked her hand, and the dungeon was filled with Dominic's groans of pain as his wound began to thaw. Anna motioned for Elsa to stop but held the torch near his wound. "_Explain yourself._"

"Anna," Elsa urged quietly. "That's enough."

Dominic scoffed as Anna backed off. "Still in her pocket, I see." Elsa lifted a finger. "Wait!" She paused. He looked away. "It was my grandfather who accompanied John."

Elsa lowered her hands. "Marie's grandfather?" She exchanged glances with Anna. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't know until Marie came to this world." Dominic narrowed his eyes. "When she sent out the last of her dark power to you, you saw everything, right?" Elsa nodded. "The two chosen to work together to restore light and dark have that bond. They can feel what the other is feeling through their magic." He shuddered. "Her magic is painful. I lost control of it as soon as I got a taste for it."

"A taste?" Anna furrowed her brow. "How did you steal Marie's magic in the first place? And what does this have to do with your grandfathers?"

"Our grandfathers were chosen to rebalance light and dark, but there was a third. The darkness called it The Grey." The sisters looked at one another. Dominic continued, "If one should fail, it was The Grey's responsibility to take their power and finish the job. John slipped. He wasn't strong enough to wield it, so my grandfather tried taking his magic. The Rift sensed the imbalance and sent John back to his world, leaving The Rift wide open."

"Wide open?" Elsa repeated.

"Don't you get it? The Rift exists to pull those with the ability to wield light or darkness wherever it needs them. That's why Marie can't stay here once balance is restored. She'll be sent back."

Elsa grew still, her eyes wide. Anna shook her head. "So you tried taking it from her without giving her a chance?" Anna spat. "Killing her was your way of fixing it all?"

"Marie's magic is born from a dark place." Dominic's voice shook. "I…lost control of it. She showed hesitation! What would you have done if you were in my position?" He was silenced by an icy dagger pressing against his throat.

Anna gasped. "Elsa!"

Elsa pressed the dagger into his skin, lightly breaking it. "The only reason you're alive is because Marie asked to spare you," she seethed. Dominic's eyes shook. "Dark powers or not, she showed more compassion than you could ever deserve." She removed the dagger and made her way out of the dungeon.

Anna took a step towards her sister, complete shock encompassing her. "If there's one on this side, there's a Grey on her side of The Rift as well," Dominic warned the queen. She stopped. "It will pull her back, and when it does, it's best if Elsa doesn't follow." He looked at her. "Otherwise, The Rift will do what it does best: eliminate imbalances."

The ginger faltered, squeezing the torch tightly. "We're done here," she said to the guards.

Elsa knocked lightly on the guest room door. A short, beady woman answered. "Oh, good!" Johanna said in exasperation. "I was sick and tired of trying to bandage this one's wounds!" The ice mage entered, her eyes finding Marie instantly. Although she dawned a smile, it was forced and taught. Johanna gathered her bandages. "Have fun." The door slammed, causing the two women to flinch.

Marie sighed. "From the look on your face, I take it the questioning went rather well…" She winced, causing Elsa to come to her side. The former queen's palm ignited with a soft glow, and she pressed her hand against Marie's jaw. Marie flinched. "S-sorry," she said shakily. Elsa waited patiently, giving her a warm smile. Marie took a deep breath in, and much to Elsa's surprise, began unbuttoning her shirt. "I'm ready."

Elsa turned a deep red. "Wh-what?"

Marie blinked, realization hitting her. "No, no, no! N-not like _that!_ I m-meant I'm ready for you to heal me, n-not-!" She groaned and covered her face. "Oh, gosh…" Giggling filled the room. Elsa's shoulders bounced. Marie fiddled with her shirt but joined in, her face still deeply flushed. "So, what did he have to say?" she asked quietly, turning her back to Elsa. The fifth spirit recounted the conversation while tending to Marie's jaw. When she finished, a solemn expression fell over Marie's face. "So I will be sent back, after all…"

Elsa followed a wound underneath Marie's shirt, trying to ignore the feeling of the brunette's hot skin underneath her fingertips. "I thought you'd be happy," she responded honestly.

"Doesn't sound like I have a say in it either way." Elsa looked at her when she heard Marie's voice break, only to feel her heart lurch in her chest at the sight of tears streaming down her face. Marie quickly wiped them away. "My life is just something to be transferred from one place to another, like it's nothing, so-!" She stopped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that…I was just-…." Marie turned and looked at Elsa, tears running down her face. "I was so scared," she breathed, barely audible. Everything came crashing to the surface. Marie tried to hide her fear using years of experience, but in that moment, as she dove into Elsa's arms, she did not want to. "I was so afraid," she sobbed in Elsa's chest.

Elsa held her, trying desperately to hold back her own tears. "I know," she breathed, stroking Marie's hair. She placed her lips against Marie's head in effort to contain herself. Never had she seen Marie so broken before. The mask of bravery she always wore had finally crumbled to pieces, leaving the vulnerable, fragile girl in her arms. Marie clung to Elsa and sobbed unapologetically. Elsa held her tightly. "I don't care what tears us apart," the blonde whispered. "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth."

As the evening passed, Marie eventually grew still, succumbing to her exhaustion and falling asleep in Elsa's arms. Elsa ran her hand across Marie's face tenderly, watching the rise and fall of her small chest upon her lower abdomen and legs. A gentle, familiar knock sounded on the door, and Elsa looked up to see Anna enter. Her sister shut the door silently. "I was hoping to catch her before she fell asleep," she said quietly, walking to the side of the bed and sitting. "I wanted to apologize for the mess I've put her through."

Elsa smiled and moved a strand of hair out of Marie's face, her touch especially soft. "I guarantee you that she's not upset." Marie twitched and nestled her face in Elsa's upper chest, still sound asleep. Elsa held her. "I know what you're going to say, Anna, and-"

"We'll find a way." Elsa looked at her sister in surprise. Anna squeezed her hand. "I'll make sure of that." The queen rose and placed a kiss on Elsa's forehead. "Goodnight." Anna departed, the door clicking slightly as she exited. Marie stirred.

"It's okay," Elsa cooed. "I'm here." Marie hummed softly and grew still. "Now…" Elsa guided them down, settling for bed. "And always," she breathed.


End file.
